Voice
by AdventAmaranth
Summary: Was it wrong to love him? Was it wrong to wish to be there with him? They weren't that different, besides the fact that he had legs and lived up there, while he had a tail and lived down here. But aside that...deep inside they were exactly the same. So why was it wrong to wish to be with him forever? He couldn't understand...He didn't and therefore decided to take the leap of faith
1. The Princess

**Hello there everyone! I got inspiration from seeing the movie a few days ago. I really like it a lot. Just to let you know this story would be a mix from both the movie and from Hans Christian Andersen's original story. **

**Enjoy! Lyrics from the original soundtrack of the Little Mermaid.**

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"I'll tell you a tale from the bottomless blue…And it's hey to the starboard, heave ho!" The chorus of sailors sang as they paced on deck. "Look out lad a mermaid be waiting for you in mysterious fathoms below!" Bouncing golden spikes appeared and aided with one of the sail's ropes. He was followed by a blue-almost black tinged furred dog. "Isn't this great?" He asked as he tilted his head back so his neck and face could be assaulted by the cool, salty ocean air. "The salty sea air, the wind blowing at your face." He leaned backwards a bit, while the dog barked happily. He sighed refreshed. "Perfect day to be at sea." He admitted joyfully and turned to look at a poor old man who was his butler that had been vomiting his lunch since morning. The man looked at him scornfully. "Oh..yes." He said between teeth sarcastically. "Delightful." He felt another wave and returned to look at the wavy ocean. The young blonde shrugged his shoulders and began to walk around the deck, checking how the sailors were doing and how the ship's condition was. A small and slightly fat sailor was tying a rope with difficulty and so the young blonde man got to his aid. "A fine strong wind and a following sea." The young man tied it, while the rough, slightly bulky sailor talked with his rough and raspy voice. "King Triton must be in a friendly type mood."

"King Triton?" The young lad asked curious.

"Why…" An old, cranky sailor with a missing eye began as he piled their latest catches in barrels. "The ruler of the merpeople lad. Thought every good sailor knew about him." The young man's butler feeling better decided to join the conversation at deck and made his own comment. "Merpeople?" He asked as he straightened his posture and clothes that had been dishevelled as he vomited. "Cloud pay no attention to this nautical nonsense."

"But it ain't nonsense." The old one-eyed man retorted as he pointed at the butler with a fish. "It is the truth! I'm telling you down in the depths of the ocean…" He kept on inspired by his own words as he swayed the fish left and right. "Woah!" Suddenly the poor orange fish managed to escape the old sailor's clutches and splashed down into the sea as the sailor's song kept on and on. "Heave ho….Heave ho…" A soft, sort of humming began. "Heave ho, heave ho, heave ho…." The humming became a murmur and soon it erupted in a loud choir. "IN MYSTERIOUS FANTHOMS BELOOOW!" The chanting could be heard all over the sea, like a thunder against a mountain. The thunderous singing could even reach below the sea's foamy surface were the orange fish gave a sight of relief as he could feel the warm and gentle hands of its mother sea.

The fish swam slowly away from the terrifying surface as well as from the death's ship, the cold water caressing it as it descended into its depth. Swam and swam it did into the darkest and most profound parts of the tranquil sea. It passed a forest of algae, which with its green leaves gave smooth touches to its body. When the forest finished, it greeted the anemones that lived around the area, attached to smooth and rough rocks that lingered in the ocean floor. Schools of angelfish passed it by and greeted it with smiles on their faces. Jellyfish waved at him as they floated to get their food. And as it went down a groove a family of whales hummed in happiness to see it pass by. Yes the fish was a welcomed and wanted presence in the sea, unlike at the surface he was just seen as food or an object. As the orange tiny fish swam a looming shadow covered for a moment the sun's rays that managed to hit the ocean floor and the scaly skin of the fish. For a moment the fish got frightened and covered its tiny black eyes with its transparent fins. Fearful it tried to back away, but soon a tune got to it and the fright it once felt melted away like grains being taken from the shore by the tide. The tune it knew well enough, a melody that it never grew tired from. It was the melody of the sea, the lullaby of the mother blue, and the sonata for every living aquatic creature. The tune, the soft, velvet tune was the siren's call.

The fish removed its fins from its eyes and, fearless now, faced the shadow that once loomed above it. The first thing he saw was a silhouette, a human silhouette. But then the rest of the body appeared. Instead of a pair of smooth skinned legs, it saw a long and scaly tail. It was a merfolk, a male one at that. And from where he came from more appeared, a pack of merpeople. The fish stopped to gaze at the gods of the sea, or so they called them. They were protectors, guardians, and the saviours from the deep blue. The fish and plants revered them and loved them like a child would his mother. The small orange fish remembered the tales its mother used to tell them about the beginning of the merfolk. She said that long ago, the merpeople didn't live among fish or any sea creature. Yet one day, the humans and the sea monsters appeared out of nowhere and the aquatic life began to die with the passing days. The humans killed fish for food as well as the sea monsters. Sometimes, they even killed just for the fun of it. Humans were the worst for they even fished them out to keep as pets. And when all was thought to be lost, the merfolk arrived from the northern waters. With their spears and swords forged out of minerals and rocks they found in the deep blue, the merpeople fought humans and sea monsters that tried to harm the living creatures. With time the aquatic fauna and flora began to call them gods and invited them to live among them. And so, they built their home right here in the middle of the sea where they lived. Seeing them always made the small orange fish loose its breath, for they never stopped fascinating it. The small orange fish decided to follow the merfolk and with them swam till they reached the city where they lived. It was a giant golden castle, which shone with unnatural golden light, almost like the sun. Its giant doors where made of corals and pretty stones, its floors made out of polished sand, its towers were built with the finest underwater rocks and where ever the eyes looked there was sure bound to be gold.

The fish happily entered the enormous concert chamber that the castle held and took a seat among the many guests and fish and crustaceans they merfolk invited. Today was the day King Daphnes Nohasen Hyrule girls were to sing the newest song and for the first time the seventh daughter was to sing on public. Daphnes was most proud and pleased with its daughters when they sang. No mermaid in the hold ocean had much beautiful and wonderful voice than his daughters. And the seventh one was rumoured to have the sweetest and most amazing voice out of the seven. And so the fish and all the other guests impatiently waited for the concert to begin. All of the sea creatures chitchatted about how this was bound to be the best concert the entire ocean had ever seen.

The sound of trumpets alerted the hall to be silent. A small and kind of cute looking seahorse emerged from behind the trumpeters. The cute seahorse cleared its throat a bit and took a deep breath. "HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS KING DAPHNES NOHASEN HYRULE!" A magnificent looking chariot appeared, pulled by four royal blue dolphins. On the chariot rode the king himself, looking as proud and powerful as he had always been. His now silver long silver mane moved about in the water, his strong built naked chest still strong as ever and covered just by a reddish wine-coloured cape, his strong arms and hands waved at the public majestically as the crowd clapped and cheered for the old and kind king. When he reached the centre of the hall he pulled out his trident and with a quick and short spell the hall's chandelier lighted and small sparks of golden powder fell down the floor. The crowd awed in amazement and King Daphnes took his seat in the royal balcony. His tiny blue eyes looking at the concert hall with impatience as well. He really wished to hear his seventh girl sing. The seahorse, seeing that the show had finished proceeded to present the royal conductor who was to begin the concert. "AND PRESENTING THE DISTINGUISHED COMPOSER THE GREAT, INCOMPARABLE, UNDENAIBLE, UNBELIEVABLE, UNCOMPATIBLE, LOVABLE, CRUSTACEOUS IMPA!" A trumpet, more like a tiny harmonica, announced the entrance of the small, but proud and welcomed crab. A small but still luxurious chariot pulled by two goldfish appeared. On it a female crab with a solemn look waved at the crowd. Never once losing composure besides her small stature. The crowd applauded on and on until the chariot arrived to the centre of the hall and stepped on the conductors stool. The crab referred as Impa looked back and forth upon its musicians and the stage where the young princesses were hidden by giant clamshells. Impa took a deep breath and took out her conductor's stick. She hit it once upon her music stand, alerting the crowd and her musicians that the concert was about to begin. The hall immediately silenced and darkened as only as spotlight followed the regal crustacean and only the breaths of the flutists and wind instruments users could be heard. Impa raised her claw that held the baton and with a swift motion she brought the music to life and colourful lights filled the stage.

The music carried on and on as the clamshells slowly opened showing the crowd and the proud father the six first daughters, wearing beautiful satin clothes and silk capes, with gemstones attached to their crowns and bracelets. There was no doubt at all that they were the beautiful daughetrs of Daphnes and the richest merfolk in the ocean. To the music soon joined the voices of the six dazzling mermaids. "Oh we are the daughters of Daphnes, great father who loves us and named us well." The rich and full voice of the mermaids lulled the crowd and brought great pride to their father. "Zelia." They sang and a brunet, light blue-tailed mermaid got her solo as she twirled, a set of puffy feathers exploding from a hat she wore. "Zedina." A blonde and purple-tailed mermaid got her solo and danced with two algae fans. "Zerea." A blonde red-tailed mermaid sang and danced, a pair of lionfish stuck on her flowing long hair. "Zetia." A brunet orange-tailed mermaid swam upwards as she sang and an octopus spun above her. "Zericia." A brunet with a wine-coloured tail with a three-spiked crown on her head sang as she invaded the crowd and threw small shiny dust on it. "Zeriata." The last green-tailed mermaid with deep black hair sang as angelfish twirled around her. The six then gathered in a circle and continued. "And then there is the youngest in her musical debut. Our seventh little sister we are presenting her to you, to sing the song Impa wrote her voice is like a bell. She is our sister…ZELDA!" One clamshell shot upwards, the lights dimmed, and only a spotlight illuminated the one clamshell. The crowd and musicians were silent as the clamshell spun slowly. Among the silence a voice began and reverberated all around the concert hall, an angelic and soothing voice that slowly and wonderfully got louder as a marimba joined the voice. The clamshell opened and a precious young girl was revealed. Her blonde long hair was decorated with crystals and diamonds that reflected brightly the oncoming light, making her hair appear like the night with the stars. She got up from the shell and swam downwards, the pink cape flowing like a cascade along with her. Her voice soon consumed the entire hall, filled every ear and heart with a longing no one knew. Some of the present broke down in tears and sobbing due to the beauty of such voice. Who knew someone could have such a sweet and beautiful voice? Who knew such delicate sound could carry such strong feelings? None could answer such questions. The only thing the crowd could do was weep and cry with emotion. The voice soon got higher and louder and for a moment all the weeping an sobbing stopped only to stare agape at the fragile and perfect princess that held such sounds. The spotlight disappeared and all was reduced to darkness, except for the echo of the princess' voice indicating the end of the song. For a moment all was quiet, but the silence didn't even last a minute before the crowd broke into an excited clapping and cheering. King Daphnes even stood up to give ovation to his wonderful daughter. She had been brilliant. No, she had been better than brilliant. Magnificent that's more like it. Forget it. Words couldn't describe how the young princess had been. The lights slowly returned to the hall and the public stood up, applauding with even more force than before, as the sisters slowly bowed for the audience; their pearly teeth smile wide on their faces. King Daphnes was more than proud.

"Papa! Papa!" A sweet voice was heard down the hallway. King Daphnes smiled widely. "Hello there, Zelda!" He said cheerfully as he saw the precious girl swimming down the hallway to greet him. He hugged her tightly to his chest. She was his most dear girl after all. His favourite little girl. Not only was she the cutest and sweetest of the seven, but also had been the last treasure his dear and beloved wife had left to him. The last memory of them together was embedded on her. He patted lovingly her golden head and gave her a squeezing and bone- breaking hug. "You were magnificent today. I must say I was really proud of you." The young princess merry laugh resonated as she tried to pry away from her father's strong clutches. "Dad! Stop it!" She giggled lightly. "You are embarrassing me." The young princess managed to break away and both family members laughed warmly. But soon the laughter ceased and the young blue eyes of the princess searched around the corridor. The King lifted an old and white brow at his daughter's antics. "Everything alright my dear?" He asked confused.

"Where's Link?" She asked as she kept glancing this way and that, searching for the someone she mentioned.

"Link?" The King asked and turned to look. "Well I haven't seen him all day long. Why?" The princess' face turned sombre and gloomy; something that surely didn't go along with her for she was known to be the happiest and merriest of the seven girls. The King was utterly displeased to see such air around his youngest daughter and the fairest of the mermaids. "He promised." The princess murmured, her hall pose going frigid and stiff. The Kin edged closer to the young mermaid. "What?" He asked and held her chin to look at her directly; her golden lashes getting slightly damp with oncoming tears. "He promised he'd come to see me and even be on first row to watch me." A few sobs escaped the tiny pink lips.

"He did?" The King asked embracing the racking body of his daughter. Although, he didn't hear her, he felt her nod. Uncontainable fury rose in his body and he found himself yelling the name of the person his daughter was crying for. The King's strong voice echoed till the most vast and unknown corners of the deep blue, and every creature hid from the fury and hatred that tinted that strong and regal voice. They prayed that whomever had incited the King's fury was to be killed swiftly instead of tortured slowly and so much painfully as the rumours told of the King's punishments. The echoed voice laced with all its hate and wrath carried just one unfortunate name. "LINK!" May the heavens bless the poor soul that was bound to receive the King's forthcoming fury. The waves in the surface suddenly became much stronger and violent, and the ocean air blew with uncontained force, making the once calm sea a foamy and rage-filled ocean.


	2. The Merman

**Second part coming up. Enjoy! :D**

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A young lad, less than twenty years old, rested atop a smooth and slightly grassy, so to speak, rock as he watched the swirls of light play above the blue waters of the mother sea. His dirty, blonde bangs swaying back and forth along with the tide and currents, his royal blue eyes scrutinizing ever as a light swirl changed form or if the sunrays ever stopped hitting him directly and forced him to change positions in order to enjoy the warm touches of light. Yes. He liked the sun and this place he had just found was perfect for enjoying it. It was a clearing in the middle of an algae forest that was pretty, but not much, to the surface. A few schools of fish made him company and the occasional seahorse would appear every once in a while. But besides that it was a pretty quiet and solitary place, perfect for thinking and meditating. The swirls moving about the tranquil surface and the steady sound of small waves were about to put our young lad to sleep. He after all loved the coming and going of the sound of waves, it was one of the things, few if we must say, he loved about living in the ocean. His eyelids dropped slightly and he was just to give into slumber when a voice broke the calmness of the sea. "LINK!" He sat up, getting a bit dizzy from the rough raising, and looked about the vast blue. "HEY LINK!" To the left a small silver Atlantic blue tang with blue stripes and fins swam his way. Hadn't it been for the sun's rays reflecting upon silver, smooth scales he would have miss it. "Navi." He said with a tiny smile and swam with his green forest-coloured tail to meet the said fish. Navi huffed and puffed as she fought to regain her lost breath, while the young merman called Link looked at her with a fond and kind smile. "Navi are you alright? Why did you rush so much here? You know how far it is from home?" The blonde merman asked as he patted Navy's head.

"I…huff…I…." The fish panted. "Sheik…."

"Sheik?" Link asked a bit confused. Why would his best friend be looking for him at this hour? Wasn't he supposed to be at work right now?

"Sheik…found something…" The silver fish answered, her breath now levelling. "He found something you may like." Navi added and spun around joyfully. "Something you'll definitely like! Follow me!" And saying so she took of, rather quickly for such a small fish. "Wait up!" Link yelled and kicked his green tail fast to follow his long time friend.

A valley appeared before them after many minutes of swimming nonstop. It was really deep and lacked light, yet a few still managed to illuminate the multiple spike rocks that made up the valley and the plant-less sandy ground. Just a few brave fish swam around and the bubbles that move to the surface were the only things that seemed alive in the valley. But what amazed the young merman that ventured there was the gigantic carcass of a battleship. His blonde hair swayed up and down along with a few bubbles that made it to the surface, his blue eyes a glimmer of excitement and adventurous feeling well known to anyone whenever he came across something from the surface. "Navi…" He whispered, fearful that he may shout his joy and alert any ocean patrol. "This…this is…" He didn't finish and swam as fast as he could towards the carcass; the grandeur figure of the ship getting larger with every hit of his tail. He was impatient as to explore the insides of the newest finding. After all he had a reputation to keep. For which merfolk loved human stuff and anything related to the surface more than him?

He reached the mast where the biggest sail was supposed to be held in. He could barely contain his breath of anticipation. Oh how he wished to dig into the deepest parts of this ship and find all of its hidden treasures and objects. "LINK WAIT!" Navi yelled as she caught up to him. But Link barely paid attention. The ship entranced him entirely. "You know…my tail is shorter than yours." She said a bit out of breath. Link frowned at her.

"In any case, swim faster." And saying so he swam downwards to the deck of the ruined ship. Navi shook with a bit of rage. "That's not gentlemanly at all!" She squeaked and followed the obsessed merman.

"Shh!" Link said covering her mouth. "If any of the ocean patrols see us they'll kick us out. And I'll have a spite against you for a lifetime." Navi nodded a bit scared at the fierceness in the merman's blue eyes and took a deep breath once the hand released her mouth. "Sorry." She whispered and followed Link till the deck.

"Wow." He exclaimed as he examined the entire area. "Can you believe this?"

"Yes. I can." Navi said a bit fearful. "It's pretty and all…can we go now?"

"Getting cold fins already?" Link teased.

"Of course not." She said trying to hide her real emotions and swimming about. "Its just that…well ruins are better left alone aren't they? I mean for preservation and all. And not only that but if King Daphnes found out about this…Link!" She exclaimed and swam fast towards the merman's side.

"Shhhh!" He replied and got into what was supposed to be the captain's cabin. "If you are that scared…stay out and keep an eye for shark's will ya?" Link said with a teasy smile.

"Yeah sure I'll do…sharks! Link!" The silver fish swam fast to Link's unknowing back.

"Ouch!" The merman yelled. "Watch it will ya?" He said pushing Navi away and messaging his stinging back.

"Sorry." Navi giggled.

"Swim around. Find something interesting." Link ordered and went behind a desk.

"Sure." Navi agreed and swam the opposite way.

A few minutes passed with both parties looking around until Link found something shiny that caught his attention lying on a shelf. "Hey look!" He pointed out and swam its way. Navi immediately was by him. The object in question was something silvery and a bit pointy, sort of like old King Daphnes' trident, but smaller…much smaller. Besides being underwater for so long, the object still held its unnatural shineness and beauty, no rust corroded its surface and no breaks nor scratches littered its being. It was far too pretty to Link's eyes, prettier than anything he had ever seen in his entire lifetime. He looked at it with such adoration and carefulness that he got whenever he laid his orbs upon a human artifact that Navi feared that with time Link would absolutely go insane with such objects. "Isn't this the most amazing thing you've ever seen in your life?" He asked as he turned it this way and that.

"Yeah sure, sure." Navi assured as she usually did every time Link asked that question. "How about if we go now? I mean I was only expecting a quick tour of the place." But her words fell on deaf ears as Link kept on looking about the place like a child on a toy store. His hand took something out of a drawer and sitting down on what once was the captain's chair he investigated the newly found treasure with his eyes and hands. "Now what the hell is this? It looks like some kind of oceanic volcano or something." He mumbled and then looked at Navi. "What do you think?" He threw it her way. Navi almost didn't catch it and Link for a moment felt his heart stop. Navi gave out a kind of nervous laughter when she felt the intense glare Link pierced her with and scratched the back of her head. "Je. Well…it looks like a twisty tube that goes from thin to fat. Nice and all, can we go now?"

"Nope. A few more things and we leave okay?" Link said excited and swam to a bunch of old and decayed fabrics. "Link." Navi whined and Link shushed her alright. Angry she went and swam away from the captain's cabin. "Now what is this? WHAT! IT MOVES!" She heard Link yell, but paid him no heed. "IT'S ALIVE! MAUAJAJAJAJA!" The poor dumb blonde was far too engrossed on his human obsession that he could be hit with a rock and bleed but not notice till after he passed out. Navi let out a sigh. Nothing could stop Link from getting his hands on human objects down here in the ocean blue. She felt a puff of warm air hit her face. At first she confounded for how could hot air hit her face if she let hot air out first? And why was her silver skin not shining if she was standing just below on of the sun's rays? And why did she felt a threatening presence near her? For a moment, she was left dumbfounded trying to figure out what was so out of place and then it hit her. Perhaps, if she looked from where the sun's rays came from, she could find the reason for what was happening.

Slowly, Navi looked upward from where she thought the light came from. Yet, instead she saw something that made her feel so much smaller and made her fins go literally cold. The huge thing above her smiled and showed numerous sets of sharp, dangerous and piercing teeth. Navi yelped and her eyes grew wide with fear. The thing opened its mouth and hadn't it been for our poor Navi's fast reflexes, she would have been supper for the huge animal. Navi swam as fast as she could and yelled; well it resembled more like an ear-piercing scream. "SHARK! SHARK!"

Link turned around in time to receive a head-on on the stomach the tackle of a silver scaled fish. "SHARK! SHARK! LINK SHARK!"A scared Navi yelled as she hid behind a gasping Link. "Navi…What…" He didn't have time to ask when he felt a tug on his arms, feeble but strong enough, to move him a few inches to the left just in time to avoid the attack of an upcoming creature. "Shark?" He asked as the gray creature battled against a poor attempt to untangle itself from the fabrics he had knotted into. "YES SHARK!" Navi yelled and pulled Link's arm indicating that they must leave at once. "LET'S GO NOW! LET'S GO!" Link didn't countered that and followed Navi out the captain's cabin just a few seconds before the shark burst through the window, breaking and destroying the room completely. "Oh no!" Link commented and kicked his tail harder gaining speed. And so Link and Navi circled the mast followed by the shark closely. The evil creature kept snapping its gigantic jaws at them, so threatening and fierce that even King Daphnes would have flinched a bit. "Link…" Navi shrieked, feeling the shark to close to her. She gasped when she looked back and saw the back of the throat of her doom. She swore she saw her life pass in front of her very eyes, since she was a tiny small fishy in the sea till how she met her very first best friend Link till the last adventures they had had together till now. She somehow hoped that she had at least met her first love, but it seemed her life was too short for that and besides at the moment hopes didn't mind. She would die in a few moments. She would die alone, inside a shark's belly. How much miserable could she get? Wait, no more because she was about to die. Well, at least that's what she thought. A pair of arms embraced her and she felt the swift caress of water even stronger than before. She opened her eyes and looked at the figure of the shark farther than before. And best of all she still was breathing and alive. She wondered how and looked at the pair of pale arms that surrounded her body. "Wha…"

"I'll never leave a friend behind." She heard the reassuring voice of Link close to her. She looked above and indeed Link's smiling face was looking down at her. Her heart gave a huge leap and she felt herself smiling back. She hugged Link with her frail fins, or at least what they managed to hug and thank him over and over again. "Oh please. Its nothing to thank me for." He said a bit embarrassed. "Now how about if we lose this shark, yeah?" He asked playfully and Navi nodded. "Hold on tight." He warned and increased his speed incredibly. Navi questioned how he was supposed to loose the shark, until she saw something she had missed before. Above the mast a huge ring was located, huge enough to fit Link through but she doubted the shark could pass through. So that was Link's plan. Clever, she thought. Up and up they went, the shark closing ever so slightly upon them until they reached the ring. Link passed easily through, but the shark. "AJAJAJA! AAJAJAJAA!" Link laughed happily. "Serves you right, big boy." He joked and patted the shark's noose. "See ya later." He said and swam away. Navi feeling brave for a moment, showed her tiny tongue to the shark, which angry at being ridiculed, snapped its jaws at her. She gasped and sped away behind Link, who laughed at her antics.

A lonely seagull relaxed at a small island conformed of a lonely palm tree and a few ferns and bushes. It sang a really ridiculous song as it groomed its long and white feathers. "YO! TINGLE!" He heard from afar but clearly as the day. But seriously, how couldn't someone hear such calling if the only sound was that of shy waves and a few breezes. The seagull, now named Tingle, took out of one of the ferns a telescope. He placed it on his eye, of course the wrong side, and looked through the amplifying glass. "Whoa! Merman! Holy Kraken! A merman!" He yelled as he looked at the figure of both Link and Navi through his telescope! "How are you doing Mr. Merman?" He said and removed the telescope. "My! You do are a fast swimmer!" He complimented. Link chuckled. "So they say." He said and took out his satchel. "Hey! Mind aiding me with this." He said taking out object from it. "Found them on an abandoned ship. What are they?" Tingle clapped excited upon the artifacts his eyes landed on. "My! My! Sure will. But..."

"Payment I know." Link chuckled and took out a few pearl from the satchel as well. Tingle immediately took them and analyzed. "Genuine and strong." He said and placed them aside. "Now well...what do we have here." He said taking the object that resembled King Daphnes' trident. He twirled it with his wing, observed it closely and balanced it with one of his feathers. "This my young Mr. Merman is what humans call dinglehopper." He said and scratched his chin with it. "This is what humans use to straighten their hair out." He said, receiving a big "oh!" from both Link and Flounder. "Allow me to show you." He said and began to twirl it this way and that on his head, until it got puffy and with an exploded look. "There you go. You got an aesthetically pleasing configuration of hair that humans go nuts over." He concluded handing the dinglehopper to Link.

"Dinglehopper." The blonde merman commented with awe.

"And this?" Navi asked as she pointed with her fin at the tube-like artifact.

"This?" Tingle asked and took it, analyzing it with much fervor. "Been ages since I've seen one of this." Link's attention focused on the item Tingle held. "This is a banded, bulbous snarfblat."And showed it to both his guests.

"Wow." Link exclaimed breathless.

"Snarfblats date back to prehistorical times, when humans used to sit around, and stare at each other all day." He said, sitting before him and totally invading his personal area. "Got very boring." He said and retreated, standing up slowly and brought the snarfblat to his beak. "So, they invented the snarfblat to make fine music. Allow me." He said and blowed at the thinnest end, getting from the other end a bunch of algae and sand. He coughed and coughed.

"Music?" He gasped and suddenly it hit him dead on. The color left his face and he felt drained. "Oh Poseidon."

"It was stuffed." Tingle gasped.

"Oh Poseidon! The concert...it was today!" Link said feeling so guilty and miserable. He had promised Zelda after all that he would assist and be there for her. But...the ship had appeared and...well he just couldn't handle it. "ZELDA WILL KILL ME!" He said putting all the items inside his satchel.

"The concert was today?" Navi asked bewildered.

"Perhaps, this could..." Tingle thought out loud as he looked at the snarfblat, but it disappeared from his sight and placed on Link's satchel.

"Sorry Tingle. But I must leave immediately." He said and placed the satchel around his chest. "Thank you!" He said and disappeared below the waters.

"Anytime Mr. Merman!" The seagull yelled in farewell at the disappearing image of the young blonde, green-tailed merman.

As Link swam he hoped Zelda would forgive him if he explained. He had promised and had failed miserably. He had always had a weak spot for human artifacts and anything related to them. She knew. And so he hoped that if he explained, she would understand. But even more he hoped that King Daphnes remained unknowing of his broken promise and wouldn't be forced to tell his story to His Highness. He just hoped, if only the poor merman knew what awaited him upon his arrival.


	3. The Guard

**Third Part! The fated meeting is close!**

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Link swam as fast and steady as he could through the deep blue, worried that Zelda's greeting wouldn't be as pleasant as he hoped. How could it after all? He had promised he'd go, her first concert. Her first concert…and he had forgotten. "What a friend." He mumbled a bit angry with himself. "You are the worst." He scowled.

"Say what Link?" Navi asked catching Link's voice as they swiftly made their way.

"Nothing." He replies. "Let's pick up the pace a bit, yeah?"

"Sure." Navi smiled and swam to keep up Link's adjusted velocity. Unknown to them a pair of twinkling yellow eyes looked at them, hidden in the shadows of rocks and algae. The body was yet to be shaped for the shadows are to strong and hid the beings well, except for those pairs of glassy, yellow eyes. As they watched Link and Navi go; the left eye of one and the right eye of the other shone with supernatural light for another person to see the scene before them. Who was that other person? Well…First that person was far away, watching everything through a magical bubble floating atop a some sort of dried up anemone cauldron. That person lived in a cave, if we could call it that, in the farthest parts of the ocean. The home of said person was actually the carcass of some sea monster defeated ages ago in the centre of a deep forest in which plants and trees were polypi, half plant and half animal. Like serpents with a hundred heads, they looked as they rose from the sandy ground. But the real description of the person's lands would come later. For now, the only things that's important is that said person followed our young merman as he saw to the castle. "Yes. Hurry home, young merman." The person or being said in a voice that could send chills through any brave man's spine. "We wouldn't want to miss old Daphnes' celebration, now, would we?" A pair of eyes shone in the shadows from inside the shadows of a giant clamshell. "Huh! Celebration indeed. Bah!" The voice exclaimed tinted with hatred. "In MY day, we had fantastical feasts when I lived in the palace." A bony tanned hand extended itself into the light to take a shrimp from a golden plate that laid in a rock beside said clamshell. "And now…Look at me-" The being revealed itself, showing an old, slightly well built but skinny, tanned man with reddish curly locks that fell till his shoulders and a small reddish beard that fell till his Adam's apple. His golden eyes looked beyond with such repulsion and rage that could pierce the walls from the cave he lived in. "Wasted away to practically nothing- banished and exiled and practically starving while he and his flimsy fish-folk celebrate. Well, I'll give 'em, something to celebrate soon enough. " The man clawed at the edges of the clam shell, almost ripping his nails of, but thought better of it and pulled himself out from the clamshell, revelling that his lower body was half octopus, wine-red tentacles aiding him to descend in a graceful manner to the floor below. "Kotake! Koume!" He yelled furiously. He heard a pair of pained hisses from the bubble floating in midair. He swam towards it, looking so menacing and threatening. "I want you to keep an extra close watch on this merman here." The man chuckled darkly as his tendrils moved around him. "He may be the key to Daphnes' undoing." His golden eyes flashed evilly and terrifyingly.

"Sheik!" A shy voice called from somewhere. A shy but recognizable voice. The platinum blonde merman looked around with his only visible right red eye. The vast blue was all the eye could see and at first he thought it had been a figment of his imagination and shook his head. Perhaps, it was the lack of sleep that made him hear things. His red tail propelled him forward before he heard the shy voice call him once more. "Sheik!" He turned. Now he was sure his head wasn't playing tricks on him. "Over here!" And indeed it wasn't, for there hidden between some algae was his best friend Link, waving at him quite excited. He reluctantly and slowly made his way to him. He was glad to see his best friend, but why did he usually have to visit him on his guarding hours. It hadn't been even a year since he was accepted into the Poseidon's Army and he had been already scolded more times than he could count for faltering during working hours. And all of course…thanks to Link. But he guessed King Daphnes saw potential on him and therefore hadn't disposed of him…yet. Link had a way of always making him get in trouble. Since he was but a mere kid, Sheik had always been the resilient, stoic and calm kind of kid. He barely socialized with any of the other merkids…of course if you called socializing just standing and looking around. He barely spoke as well and if he did he usually gave monosyllable answers, in most of the cases a "yes" or a "no". It wasn't until he reached the age of 10 when he actually opened up. And not to anyone, but to Link and Link only. Something in the bouncing, energetic and noisy kid caught Sheik's attention that he actually got the guts to walk forward to say a mere "hello" to the child. And for a reason that mere and almost reluctant "hello" made the kid smile so wide that he claimed to have hurt some muscle or something. Sheik had never met someone so hyper and go-happy in his entire life. Since then, he had found a good and wonderful friend in Link and perhaps the only friend at all. Of course, Navi was also a friend, but the only friend Sheik actually needed and had was Link. And so, they began their mischief and treacherous childhood, with Link leading all the pranks and adventures alright. Up to this day, they still get into some trouble with the guards and merfolk but nothing to worry about. Except when… "Look what I found on the sunken ship you discovered." Link said excitedly, opening the satchel and taking all the stuff. "Tadaaa!" He said, presenting with pride his new treasure.

"Nice." Sheik commented a bit amazed, but not Link-type amazed.

"Isn't it?" Link asked and stared with fascination at his belongings. "Tingle said that this are indeed rare and valuable human artefacts." With that comment, Sheik's chest deflated. He wasn't opposed to the idea of searching ships and discovering shiny and intriguing artefacts. It was the action of going to the surface that he didn't appreciate much. Yes, it was thrilling. Yes, it was a way to prove manliness. But…it was dangerous. Way too dangerous for his liking. What if a sea monster caught them? Or worse, what if a human SAW them? He could fight to protect Link and himself, yet the ability was handy with single one-on-one combat. He couldn't handle a troop or crew. To many enemies against one merman? Not good enough chances to come back alive…not even to come back at all. Therefore, he disliked Link going up there, especially alone. Navi didn't count much as a fighter nor protector. "Link." Sheik began passing a hand through his platinum blonde hair and gripping tighter his guard's spear. "Um…would you mind not going to the surface alone?"

"Sure, yeah." Link commented, not actually paying attention at all. Too intrigued in his treasure and new possessions. Sheik sighed and turned Link to face him fully.

"This is serious." Sheik reinforced, once he was sure Link's attention was with him. Though he had to be brief and precise. When near human objects, Link's attention span lasted but mere seconds. "Promise me you'll never go to the surface again without me." Link's eyes began to loose his focus on him and shifted to the objects. Sheik shook him hard. "PROMISE ME." He said as serious as he could, though that wasn't necessary at all. Link knew pretty well that Sheik never spoke half-heartedly. For the same reason he replied as serious as he was requested for. "I promise." Sheik's usually stoic face gave a small and timid smile. To which Link smiled as a response.

"ODYSSEUS LINK AQUARIUS!" They both heard someone yell with barely contained anger. "HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME PLANTED? IN MY OWN CONCERT TO TOP IT OFF!" A pair of red and blue met fiery blue. Link gulped as the only train of thought was that of…Oh Poseidon…I'm done for.

"I just simply can't comprehend how could you do this." A stern and defeated voice began, as a hand messaged a tired forehead and brows.

"I'm terribly sorry, I just forgot, I-" A stuttering voice tried to enter the conversation but was ignored.

"As a result of your impertinent behaviour-" The first voice said now stronger and a bit fiercer.

"Impertinent and mindless behaviour." Another added with the same strength, but firmer.

"The entire concert was, er-" The first voice stopped, trying to analyze what it was a bout to reveal without it sounding too harsh.

"Well, you could say it was pointless. That's all. Completely pointless. This concert was to be Princess Zelda's first concert. Now thanks to you it was but a complete let down, since her best friend was nowhere to be seen." The third voice said accusatorily pointing with a red with silver lining claw. "She wanted to prove herself before you, but guess what…pointless." Link flinched back and his eyes showed embarrassment and depression to the point of tears. Even the princess was beginning to feel guilty of making him feel so miserable, but that was when Navi came to the rescue. Sheik looked relieved as she took the lead. Perhaps…this wouldn't end so bad.

"IT WASN'T HIS FAULT!" Five pair of eyes looked at her. She felt self-conscious at first yet for Link she was willing to withstand it. She was never fond of being the centre of attention after all. "Ah…Ahm…well…First…ahh…This shark, big bad shark chased us." She began showing her teeth as if ferocious. "Yeah-yeah! And we tried to…but we couldn't…and it made "grrrrrgrrrr"…and…and we "whoooooa"" She spun around to prove her point. "Oh! And then we were safe. But then this seagull came," Link and Sheik looked at her wide-eyed. She had messed up. King Daphnes' and Zelda's eyes were disbelieving. "And it was this is this, and that is that, and.." King Daphnes stood up and swam before Link and Navi, who hid behind her merfriend as such merfriend looked at her reproachfully.

"SEAGULL?" The King exclaimed. "WHAT? YOU WENT UP TO THE SURFACE AGAIN, DIDN'T YOU?" Zelda looked at Link surprised beyond reason. This hadn't been the first time Link went to the surface. But she had believed that by the third time he would understand what her father meant when he prohibited all access to the surface. That he would understand the dangers. But, no. Nothing worked. He was still committed to return up there. What was so interesting about the outside? It was nothing but danger and death. She knew very well, but Link…it was like if he was a total airhead with no instinct of survival at all. As if he were dumb than dumber. A total wacko who loved the scent of danger and risk. To make it worst, Sheik approved of his behaviour. He approved of Link venturing further. Wasn't he afraid for his well-being? Didn't he fear the lost of his best and only friend? Perhaps, both buys had algae for brains. "Nothing happened." Link sighed, trying to dissuade the King's utter rage.

"Oh…Link…" The King began taking deep breaths and turning his back to the young merman, hoping to regain his composure. "How many times must we go through this? You could've been seen by one of those barbarians…by…by one of those humans!" He finished, lacing the last word with disgust. Link seemed to be at the verge of exploding.

"They are not barbarians." He said through clenched teeth. No one before him was allowed to degenerate humans, not even the King himself.

"They are dangerous." The King reasoned. "Do you think I want my dear daughter's best friend snared by some fish-eater's hook?"

"That's none of your concern sir." Link commented, glaring at the King defiantly. "I'm already an eighteen year old merman capable of taking care of myself." As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a harsh blow connect to his cheek, making his world spin for a while. Zelda and Navi gasped while Sheik tightened the hold on his spear. As much as he would like to, he couldn't go against his King. That'll cost him both the job and his head. "YOU IMPUDENT KID!" The King growled. "AS LONG AS YOU ARE UNDER MY CARE…"

"I DON'T NEED YOU TO TAKE CARE OF ME!" Link yelled matching the King's fury.

"YES YOU ARE!" The King argued on. "I'M YOUR FATHER…" He never got to finish.

"YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER!" Link yelled.

"YES I AM!" The angry monarch retorted. "SINCE YOUR DECEASED FATHER…"

"STILL THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU MY FATHER!"

"YES IT DOES!" The King answered. "AND AS LONG AS YOU LIVE UNDER MY OCEAN…UNDER MY CARE I AM NEVER, NEVER TO HEAR OF YOU GOING TO THE SURFACE AGAIN! IS THAT CLEAR?" Link shuddered with barely controlled rage and left the throne room, followed by Sheik and Navi. Old King Daphnes turned slowly and looking more tired than ever. His eyes were sorrowful, while he took his seat on his throne. Zelda came to his side and rested her head on his shoulder, while her tiny, frail pale arms circled her beloved father's torso. "Do you, er, think I…I was too hard on him?" He asked and messaged his brow.

"Not at all father." Zelda answered. "He was really rude towards you. Stating you aren't his father after all you've done for him." She said looking away, truly angry at her best friend.

"Teenagers." Impa added with her usual uncaring voice. "They think they know it everything. You give than an inch, they swim all over you." Zelda scowled at her. "You weren't too hard at all. On the contrary, boundaries and limits are needed and must be respected. If it were me, I'll have him with a leash and under tight control." Triton's eyes lit up.

"You are absolutely right, Impa!" He said, his mind conjuring up an idea so marvellous his mouth couldn't stop from smiling. Impa merely nodded. "Link needs constant supervision. I could ask that friend of his, Sheik, but I suppose he wouldn't follow my rules. He's to submissive to Link's ways." Impa once more nodded. Knowing full well where this was heading. "Therefore, you are on charge of this. Have you eyes always on him and report back to me." Impa bowed, accepting her new responsibilities and headed to where Link was. King Daphnes relaxed. Now everything could go back to normal. He turned to Zelda, who was beaming with joy for her friend would now be safe and secure.


	4. The Cave

**Next Chapter coming up! :D**

**Once more taken from the Little Mermaid. **

* * *

"Um…Link...I'm…I'm sorry." Navi muttered sheepishly as Link, Sheik and her made their way. Link was unquestionably angry and rage-filled. His tail was moving strongly and rapidly, his fists clenched and his whole demeanour screamed: "pissed off". He had been so close to elude the King, so close to get away with just a "sorry I didn't come but had things to do that were kind of urgent." He could have made a reasonable excuse and everything would be forgiven. But, no. Navi had to reveal everything. She had to slip all of the information as if it were something so normal and casual. He did forgive her of course. But right now he wasn't in the mood for talking. "Link?" Navi insisted.

"Not now Navi." Link sighed and kept on. Ignoring her wasn't something he liked to do, but given the circumstances he needed to do it. Navi turned to look at Sheik, who by now had finished his guarding duties. He looked at her and denied with his head. Speaking to Link when he was angry was a bad idea. He had seen the consequences inflicted upon persons when they messed with a bubbling-volcano mode Link. None of them were pretty. He, thanks the Mighty and Merciful Blue, hadn't been one of those since he rarely spoke and somehow understood what Link felt and when was it convenient to talk to him or not. For the other part, Link was amazed at how good could Sheik read him. It was as if they had some sort of telepathic communication or some sort of supernatural power. He didn't mind it though. He was really grateful to have such an understanding friend. He couldn't even dare ask for more from him. He smiled slightly to himself and thanked Poseidon for introducing Sheik into his life. Unknown to them a red and silver crab followed them closely behind.

After a while, the three arrived to an underwater mountain of sorts. The stopped before it and, while being cautious of their surroundings, they began to move a gigantic rock that happened to be the door to a pitch-black cave hidden inside the mountain. They looked once more around them. If the King's troops ever found about their hideout, they didn't even wish to imagine. Inside laid layers and layers of objects that the three had managed to collect in their long eighteen years of existence. Every rock, glass, wood, anything they could lay their hands on that screamed "manmade" was retrieved by them and kept securely inside this cave of wonders of theirs. The three were rather proud of their findings and would boost about them to anyone if it weren't for the obvious rejection of anything human that the merfolk held. But, they were slightly grateful for that as well, it meant more treasure for them and left them with a really personal feeling, something only they could share among themselves, like a secret between lovers. But that's beside the point; we need to return to the current scene before us. The three friends, reassuring themselves than no one was following or watching them, they slid carefully inside the cave. Sadly for them a certain crab managed to slip by not long after they entered and said crab couldn't have been more dumbfounded by what it saw. A beautiful collection of shiny objects that were placed on shelves naturally made by erosion that stretched upwards until where the eye could see. It was like a personal night sky and the small crater above was the moon that illuminated the fascinating dark blue confines of the cave. The crab was utterly fascinated. It was really a marvellous sight. But the crab's attention was stolen by the voice of Navi.

"Link…" The crab turned to look at the scene before it's eyes. "Are you okay?" She asked while Link stared at the dinglehopper. Sheik on the meantime put the other treasures into empty spaces on the shelves. His red eye focused on both his work and Link. He knew how Link felt, but he couldn't deny the fact that King Daphnes was right. The outside was dangerous and he would be damned before something happened to Link. He would kill for Link. Even if it meant killing the same King Daphnes .

"If only I could make him understand." He said while he turned the dinglehopper. "I just don't see things the way he does. Something like this," He said touching the three pointy tips with his finger. "Something like all of this, a world that makes such wonders…it can't…it would be impossible to imagine it being…bad." Sheik lowered to Link's level, his visible red eye looking into the ocean blue of both his.

"It isn't." He said sincerely. Sure, he thought the outside was dangerous…but everywhere was. Even the very ocean was a place full of risks and threats. But…just because it seems dangerous doesn't mean its bad. The ocean was really something beautiful…why couldn't the outside be so? Link looked at Sheik and smiled warmly. His friend could really see deep into him. He always knew what to say. No matter what King Daphnes or the rest of the merworld said…the surface wasn't as bad as it seemed.

Link placed the dinglehopper on a candelabrum. "Isn't it neat?" He asked Sheik.

"Yes." He said while looking around.

"With all of these…one could think our collection's complete, right?" Navi asked excited to see all the things they had. "We have everything."

"For anyone perhaps." Link said and looked around. "But look at this toll. So many wonders that this place holds. Someone may think we have everything." He said as he watched Sheik move around, looking at everything they owned.

"Gadgets, gizmos, whozits, whatzits," Sheik went reciting in almost a whisper. Until, he slightly chuckled and turned to Link. "Thingamabobs?" He chuckled as he read what Link had written on the box's lid.

"That's what Tingle said they were." He said chuckling as well. The happiness was short lived for his face took a sombre look.

"Link?" Sheik questioned as he swam to his side, his red eye curious.

"Who cares. No big deal." The blue-eyed merman began and looked at his friend. "I have all of this. And yet…I want so much more Sheik. So much more." He looked at the light-giving crater. The unknown crab looked before her with an indifferent face. "I want to be where the people are. Where they dance, where they walk on their feet." He swam around, but his swimming was almost tired, like if just moving caused him pain. Sheik was truly worried. "Flipping these…these fins doesn't get me far anymore Sheik. Instead flipping them feels like…like if I were stuck. I want legs Sheik…" Link choked and his body began to shiver. His eyes grew watery even inside the water itself, his whole demeanour showed someone in the verge of tears. He wanted something he knew he never would have and that was breaking him slowly and painfully. Sheik knew this and although he couldn't give him what he wanted, he could at least be there for him, give him the comfort he so much needed. He swam to where his shaking friend was and embraced his racking being. "I-I want l-l-legs to jump, run, climb…I-I w-want legs to s-s-stroll around on the streets." Link returned the warm and caring embrace of his friend and the dam broke. "U-Up there, I w-want to be up t-there Sheik…F-free from h-here." He sobbed. "How I w-w-wished I could be p-part of that w-w-world." Sheik brought his crying friend to a rock and sat him there. Link tear-rimmed eyes looked at his red one. "W-w-what w-would I give…to be o-o-out of these w-w-waters S-S-Sheik. To spend a day w-w-warm on the sand, basking in the s-s-sun's rays Sheik." He sobbed and hid his eyes with his hands. Embarrassed or desperate? Sheik knew not. "I-I want to l-learn what's there to learn!" Link cried. "What's f-f-fire and w-why does it…burn? W-what's a c-c-chariot? W-w-what are h-horses? When's it my turn?" He suddenly shot upwards, intending to pass through the crater and into the world above. Sheik…let him be. For he knew he would fail. He couldn't get above the surface. It was impossible. Link would realize it soon enough. The least Sheik could do was wait for him to return and be there to catch him. He would always be there for him. Always.

Link up and up he went. The crater came close and closer. And he was just a few inches to freedom. Just a few more tail whips. Just a few more gasping breaths. He was almost there. Almost there. He could taste it. He could feel it. He could see it so close. He could grasp freedom in a few moments. He could almost feel the sun hitting on him. He got there. "I-I-I would explore the shore a-above!" Sadly, for him it would be a freedom short lived. The only thing he managed to get through the crater was his left arm. A sob resonated through the crater and for once the unknown crab let out a silent whimper. This merman before her; was dying slowly for a dream that was unreachable. To make it worst, the slight taste of such dream was banned for him by his very caretaker. Yet, she knew such thing was for his protection. Who knew what men could do if they found a merman. But still, she couldn't deny that she felt her heart slightly turn to his side.

The sob got to Sheik's ears and he felt a pang on his heart. Link was at his limit. He knew that. For a long time now he saw his friend fade with each passing day. That desire to see the outside and live on the outside was draining him, both mentally and physically. He would get insane if he kept on like this. But, what could he do? How could he help him? "Out of the sea…" He heard a faint and broken voice. He looked upwards once more. Link was slowly descending once more to the ocean floor. His body looking so feeble, so small and breakable. "Wished I could be…" Sheik stretched his arms to receive his friend. "Part of that…" Sheik embraced him and patted his dirty blonde hair. "world…" He whispered so lowly that if Sheik hadn't been there he wouldn't have heard at all. Link sobbed on his friend's shoulder. This only made Sheik hold Link tighter to reassure him that he had someone in this vast ocean. Something tapped on his other shoulder; he turned his head to find Navi crying as well. He extended one arm and held her close. Today apparently he was the comfort pillow. He wouldn't have it any other way.

The crab decided that perhaps it was better to let them have their space and slowly made her way back. Unfortunately, on of her legs got stuck on a string with pebbles. She tripped and fell against something woody and round that make her tumble. She tried to grasp the rocky edge but her claws only grasped something smooth and silky and the poor crab fell downwards, creating such a racket that Link's tears stopped immediately. "What?" Link gasped and oh what a surprise he got when he saw the figure of the royal composer…Impa. "Impa!" What a sight to see the poor red and silvered crab with a snarfblat in the mouth, the same string she had tripped with around her neck and a few other articles that made her look like an old lady. Link slightly chuckled, his previous depression long forgotten. Sheik smirked and Navi giggled. "Link…what's all of this?" She said and spit the snarfblat. Link understood that he was walking on thin ice.

"Um…this is…my collection…that's all." He said and looked at Sheik as he chuckled.

Impa, a bit humiliated, took off all the stuff from her body and slowly made her way to the exit while she said something that struck Link quiet. "I'll tell King Daphnes about this." Navi immediately swam before Impa. "No you won't tell him!" She yelled, but Impa pushed her aside. Link appeared before the unbreakable crab. "Please Impa!" He said and picked her up. "He'll never understand." His marine-blue eyes searching something in her: compassion, understanding…anything. The crab sighed. This child may be a lost hope, but he was a really passionate one. "Link…" She said and placed her claw on top of his hand. "You are under a lot of pressure. Come with me." She jumped and led the way. "I'll prepare you something warm to drink and…" A shadow covered the light above and of course it caught Link's attention.

"What do you suppose…" Link asked to no one in particular and went to the entrance of the cave; Sheik, Navi and Impa followed close behind. "Link!" Impa shouted but her yell went to deaf ears. "Link!" Pushing aside the rock, he swam out the cave and up he went to the object that created the shadow. It seemed so outstanding, so out of the normal in these normally calm waters. It was threatening but at the same time it called to him, it called to him to investigate it, to search and find everything about it till his eyes couldn't anymore. It was just so appealing, it was just so enticing, everything about it shocked and attracted Link. And so our young, dirty blonde haired merman swam and swam. Up he went…up to reach that gigantic object.

Up.

Up.

Up.

Up to the surface. "LINK!"


	5. The Ship

**Another one! Sorry for taking this long. I had lots of things to do. :)**

* * *

"LINK! NO WAIT!" He heard, but the young merman wanted to know, wanted to see what was beyond the crashing waves, he wanted to realize what more was there of this world. He wanted to return to the surface. The closer he got the more excited he felt and the faster he went. His excitement increased when he heard something beside the waves, something that wasn't nature-made nor ocean-made. It sounded as if big chunks of boulders were all falling at the same time while Impa's music was being played by the musicians. It was really something he had never heard before. If only he could swim faster.

His head was kissed by the cool ocean wind as he slowly emerged from beneath the deep blue. His golden bangs covered his eyesight for a few second before they were quickly moved aside by pale hands. The young merman gasped with awe for he had never seen something so majestic and beautiful in his entire life. A ship, a gigantic ship, crossing the seas by sheer push of the wind, was realising something that looked life shooting star that at certain point exploded into colourful flower patterns that lighted the skies for a moment before they turned to nothingness. Every flower a different colour, every flower a different expression, every flower with different intensities. Link couldn't avoid being dumbstruck and engrossed on the exploding stars; and slowly crept closer to the floating ship. But what caught more his attention after a while…were the sounds. From the ship some strange but wonderful music came and even the sounds of singing and talking voices…human voices. And with that Link's last threads to obeying the orders his "stepfather" had given him were lost. "Wow." Link exclaimed and swam to the ship not paying attention to anything else. His target was set.

"Link? LINK! COME BACK!" Impa yelled as she watched with Navi and Sheik how the young merman swim towards the ship. If the King found out that the young merman had gone to the surface…worst of all, if he found out he had swam towards a gigantic ship infested with human...her head was bound to roll. What could she do? Link was far beyond her grasp and she wasn't about to risk neither her life nor the lives of the other two just to reach the crazy teenager. What could she do? Her pondering was deep and careful. She had to weight the possible choices before she could move a claw. She was deep in thought until she felt movement beside her and next thing she knew the other blonde merman was no longer there. "Sheik?" She asked and her head turned this way and that. "Sheik! Where in the world…" She spotted a red tail and her eyes opened wide with worry. "COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" She ordered. Now she had to deal with two rebellious mermen? "I guess…they both want to watch and inspect the ship closer." Navi commented, too scared to follow the other two. Scared to deal with Impa's wrath and with humans' greed, she remained still beside the raging crab. "But…isn't that dangerous?"

"YOU BET IT IS DANGEROUS!" Impa screamed and flailed her claws at the ocean. Navi flinched back. She had never seen the composed crab loose it. Why did Link and Sheik had to go? "IF THE KING FOUND OUT…I DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT! SHEIK! LINK! COME BACK!" But the sea and the human music drowned out her voice.

Link surfaced a few inches away from the ship, the human melody blasting loud and clear now. He looked above and enjoyed the light show that was occurring on the dark blue and starry sky. He inhaled deeply, the smell of human objects and human food invading his senses. "I'm so close…" He mused. "So close and yet so far." He placed a hand on the wooden surface. "If only…" He grasped a sticking beam. "If only…" He placed his other hand on one a few inches above the other. "Why not?" He tried to pull himself upward but soon fell once more into the water. Thankfully his splash wasn't that loud. "Damn it." He cursed and hit the ship with his fist. "Need any help?" He heard from behind him. He turned to see none other than his best friend's red eye. "Sheik!" He exclaimed happily. The other smiled slightly. "Come on. I'll help you up." He said and disappeared below the water's surface. "But how will…" Link thought out loud before he felt his body moving upward. "WHAT THE…" Link exclaimed but was shushed by his friend.

"Shut it!" Sheik whispered. "Or we will be spotted."

"Oh!" Link said nodding. "Okay." Sheik. What would Link do without him? He was always there for him. Always willing to follow him in his crazy deeds and dangerous adventures. Even if it will cost him his title, his name, his life…Sheik was confident following him everywhere. Never once complaining or denying the choices he made. Never had he even scolded him…well except for he when he got hurt. But it was usually a "you were reckless" type of scolding. What would his life be if Sheik weren't there? Completely different, that was for sure. "As I push you up, you go finding something to help you get to that beam over there, beside the small opening." Sheik ordered clearly and with his visible red eye guided Link's own. His blue eye followed the red gaze and he saw the opening and beside it a piece of wood that looked like a shelf or a bench. Upon the realization Link nodded earnestly and began to pull himself up as Sheik aided him from below. He climbed slowly the wooden side of the ship and with all the efforts he could muster he gripped hard upon every crevice he could find. But although it was hard, tiring, and really difficult he wouldn't give up for two reasons: one he really wished to see all that there was of this ship and its occupants; the second, he couldn't let Sheik's help be in vain. And so he took what he had of courage and poured it as strength to climb the ship's side.

He reached the ledge and with a final pull he sat huffing and panting. That had been one difficult task and he was utterly exhausted. But as soon as the music hit his ears once more, his energy returned and eagerly he peered through the opening by the ship's side. "Thanks for waiting." He heard his friend's voice over his ear.

"Wha…Oh…Hi, Sheik." Link said bashfully as his friend's face appeared before him. "Hey…Um…I'm…"

"No need." Sheik said as he raised his hand to shush him. "I know how you get when it comes to humans." He said and peered as well.

"How did you manage to get up so easily?" Link asked as they both eyed the deck of the ship with mild interest.

"When you are one of Poseidon's Army soldiers everything else is a piece of cake." Sheik said emotionlessly.

"Show-off." Link retorted and playfully punched his shoulder. Even though Sheik didn't let out much, Link knew when his emotions were embedded in his words. And this time, he knew that Sheik was proud of what he had become. He was a proud soldier.

"You know it." Sheik said. "Hey look…it seems like there is some kind of party." Link's interest returned to the ship's deck. Indeed, it seemed to be some kind of party. The music blasted loudly as the humans seemed to dance in merry enjoyment. Link was beyond amazed and glad, he was bubbling in happiness. Never had he seen the humans so close before and to topple it over: they were dancing, drinking and playing musical instruments. Or so he thought for they were quite alike to those that Impa's musicians used. Some with a string-like instrument and some others with wind-typed ones. Even some held like some sort of round thing with rings that sounded like when you hit a metal object against another. It was purely a sight that Link loved. And the humans dancing…Well that was outmost over-joy for him! They twisted and stomped and turned and flipped and clapped and tapped and…Link didn't know were to look. Everywhere there was something new and so attention grabbing that he thought he might just get dizzy and faint from it all. Sheik was the same as him, though he didn't show it. Link really wanted to yell to reveal his happiness, but thought better of it since he could get in trouble with the ocean dwellers. And to be frank…he was quite scared of being spotted by humans. The situation being the one it was, he kept just to what his eyes could see and his ears could hear; the marvellous music being played while a huge set of humans wearing shirts with black and white stripes, baggy khaki pants inside below knee-height brown leather boots and red bandanas around their necks. Some even wore small black beret on their heads and waved it as they danced.

So much merriment there was that Link and Sheik wanted to join the festivity. But they weren't as excited as the bouncing ball of blue-black fur on the deck. The blue-black furred dog barked and jumped excitedly as it made its way through the crowd of dancing and playing sailors. Some of them gave them a piece of beef or a pat on the head as it passed beside them. It seemed the dog was having far even a better time than the sailors. Even a better time than those that were drinking. Link wondered what it was that they drank and he would have kept wondering if he hadn't seen the dog stop out of the blue and begin sniffing. He found that more interesting than a bunch of drinking humans. What could have made the excited fur ball stop? Well he discovered that soon enough as the dog placed its nose close to the wooden floor and began what seemed a small search, the nose moving up and down. It made Link chuckle a bit. But his chuckle soon drowned away, when he came face to face to the sniffing dog. Scared, both mermen hid behind the ship's side; their thumping hearts barely containable by the blasting music. "What was that?" Link asked as he regulated his hitched breathing.

"I don't know." Sheik answered, his breathing equally fast but more dissimulated than Link's. "But we better keep out of its way. It seems it has a heightened sense of smell." Link nodded. Their breathing normal and the scared long gone, both mermen decided that it was safe to eavesdrop once more. Sadly for them, the dog thought otherwise and poor Sheik, as soon as his face came into view, received a friendly and sloppy lick on the face. His face contorted in disgust mixed with a slight fearful emotion. Link put a hand over his mouth in fear that the bubbling laughter he felt growing will get out. He even bit his thumb in order to bring his body to feel pain and stifle his incoming laugh. A whistle came from nowhere, making Link's laughter dissipate. "Jazz!" A voice yelled out of the blue as well. But it wasn't any kind of voice. No…it was a velvet, deep but not that much and melodious voice. A voice that made Link immediately refocus on the ship's deck. Meanwhile, the dog stopped licking Sheik's face, leaving him all covered in saliva, and ran towards where that voice came from. Sheik cleaned himself with his arm and glared at the blue-black fur ball known as Jazz. The dog jumped as soon as he saw his master, the owner of the voice. Link couldn't help himself but stare wide-eyed and with an open mouth to said master. He had never seen someone as handsome and beautiful like him. His heart immediately gave a huge leap upon seeing such god-like human, who now was caringly patting Jazz's head. Link kept on looking at him, memorizing the man's spiky golden hair and how it bounced as he moved his head; how pale his skin was and how it glistened with the moon's rays; how his blue…sky blue eyes shinned with the lamps that illuminated the deck and how they seemed to be represent so clearly and purely every emotion he held. Those sky blue eyes were what captured his attention the most. They were unique. Not even Zelda's eyes were so pure and profound. Sure they were something, but clearly not so much as the man's eyes. The longer he looked, the deeper he was drowned to them. Soon, there was nothing around him but the sky blue of the man's eyes He had been bewitched by the man and how easily he had been bewitched. "Hey Jazz! What have you been up to?" The velvet and strong voice of the man reached Link's ears and returned him to the real world. "Good boy." The man said and smiled, showing the young entranced merman his pearly white teeth. Link felt his body relax and how his mouth curved into a silly kind of smile. He was definitely someone who had been shot by Cupid's Arrow and Sheik noticed. And if Link had been paying attention to anything else he would have seen the worried face Sheik reflected and how his red eye reflected nothing but dark and gloomy feelings. Well, Link would have noticed if something else, beside himself and the man, ever existed for him at that moment.

"Hello there, Mr. Merman!" A seagull yelled as it floated behind Link and Sheik.

"Shut it Tingle!" Link whispered, turning for a moment to glare at the annoying bird. "They'll hear you." And saying so he turned back to his spying. The seagull smiled and landed beside the young blonde merman. "I see…We are being intrepidatious." Tingle commented, his eyes looking from one side to another. "WE ARE OUT TO…" His exclamation was cut short do to a hard and strong blow to the back of his head, courtesy of Sheik of course.

"I've never seen a human this close before…" Link said dreamily as he rested his chin on his crossed arms.

"I know. Neither have I." Sheik added and smiled. "It is truly something."

"Yeah." Link sighed, his eyes never once leaving the blue-eyed male before him. How he wished he could just…look him closer. How he wished he could simply walk towards him and talk as if they were friends. How he wished he could be human. What he'll give to be human.

"SILENCE! SILENCE!" A strong and mighty voice resonated in the night sky. The music stopped and the merry laughter and talking ceased. Link and Sheik stared with undying attention. From among the crowd an old man made his way, followed by a gigantic blue bundle. The blonde human looked expectantly between the old man and the blue bundle. The old man cleared his throat and smiled proudly. "It is now my honour and privilege to present our esteemed Prince Cloud…" He began while walking towards the blonde human, who's name was Cloud and apparently…was a prince. Link now was more than baffled and drowned the old man's voice. The blue-eyed man was a prince? Then…why wasn't he dressed as one? Zelda was usually drowning and gold and silver. Not only that but she usually dressed with the finest silks and satins, the best her father could get her. And of course, she was always seen with her so trademarked gold crown with pretty stones embedded on it. But this man before him, was dressed on what could be phrased normal peasant clothing. He looked like a sailor in fact. Another normal person on the deck. But…apparently…he was a prince! That was quite shocking news for Link and Sheik. "A prince?" Link gasped and stared at his crimson-eyed friend.

"So the old one says." Sheik answered on that monotone voice of his. "Doesn't look like one though. Not regal, not majestic, nothing that gives off a royal vibe. Strange." The voice of an awing crowd followed by he die of it and a snarl from Jazz, made them turn once more to the unfolding scene on deck. Link observed how the prince's face turned from amazement to slightly disturbed. It was pretty well justified in Link's opinion. Seriously, who gave this kind of presents to someone? The blue cloth of the bundle revealed a big, sturdy and quite…intimidating?...statue that resembled the Prince wielding a sword and his feet stepping on a shield, while a long cape that seemed to be swaying in the wind gave even the statue a stronger look. The Prince wore some sort of battle armour in which the head of a wolf baring its teeth surrounded by a vine with thorns had been carved on the plastron. Link assumed such carving was the royal family's crest. The pose was supposed to give off a royal and powerful aura, but instead emanated a sickly feeling, for the face held no emotion at all. Although, it did give justice to the Prince's handsome and angel-sculpted face. "Gee...Holl…" Prince Cloud began with a estranged voice and seeming difficulty to find the right words. "It's…err…it's…it's really something." He beamed forcefully at the old man while he scratched the back of his nape. The old man, now known as Holl, smiled satisfactorily. "Yes, I commissioned it myself." His face turned sombre after a few seconds. "Of course, I had hoped it would be a wedding present, but…" The young prince broke into a loud laughter and patted the old man's shoulder. Link smiled widely upon such…cute?...adorable act? "Come on, Holl, don't start." Prince Cloud said between laughs. "Look, you're not still sore about that failed engagement right?" He said wiping the tears out of his eyes. "Believe me when I say that the princess of Larks is a woman of the gallant life." He said while perching himself on the edge of the ship, sitting down gracefully as his blue eyes sparkled with the moonlight. His look one of longing and a spark of adventurous ambition mingling in those blue depths. "Oh, Cloud," the old man said while joining him on his search of something out in the open blue. "It…isn't me alone. The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right lady." He said with extreme fondness lacing his words. Prince Cloud sighed depressingly and his eyes clouded. Link could feel tears prickling his eyes for the Prince's sad emotions were strong. "Holl…I know she's out there." He said and Link felt the first tear falling. "I know…I know she's somewhere." The poor mermen's heart felt pierced. Why? He didn't know. But it just felt wrong and tormenting to hear the Prince speak with such negative and gloomy emotions. And for a reason…it was torturing the words he spoke. "I just-I just haven't found her yet. I haven't searched enough. I haven't sought enough."

"Well, we just need to search harder." Holl said and flashed the Prince a supportive grin. At that, Cloud's eyes cleared and he felt new resolution weave inside him. Link, although happy for the Prince, was far from joyous. "Believe me, Holl, when I find her I'll know." The young man stood up and gripped a rope that secured the main sail. "Without doubt. It'll just…" His blue orbs shone with new light. "BAM! Hit me- like lightning." A thunder roared close by, startling everyone on the ship.


	6. The Wreckage

**Part 6. Hope you enjoy it. :D**

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The wind suddenly blew much stronger and the sea got rougher and more aggressive. The boat began to rock from one side to the other as the sea waves hit it with full force. The sky got darker and the moon and stars couldn't be seen anymore. The howl of the wind was bone chilling and merciless as the strong gusts hit with a piercing sensation. The sailor at the very top of the mast, peered down and with a loud and clear voice, despite the wind, yelled. "HURRICANE, A'COMMIN! HURRICANE, A'COMMIN!" Prince Cloud looked above with fearful eyes, as the mast swayed due to the wind's force. "STAND FAST! SECURE THE RIGGIN!" The sailor continued and soon the storm let its force fall upon the ship. The droplets of water were piercing, cold daggers, while the wind that once was strong, became an unstoppable force. Prince Cloud ran around the ship screaming orders at the sailors while he helped as well. "MEN WE NEED TO SECURE THE SAILS! TIE THE CANNONS! REMOVE ANY BARRELS THAT MAY LINGER ABOUT!" He went to the aid of a sailor, whose hands had been burned by the slipping ropes. "EVERYONE TAKE THEIR POSTS!" Hands and feet got to work in following the young prince's orders. For the time being, Sheik and Link tried to keep holding unto the ship; their nails scratching the wooden surface. "S-S-Sheik…" Link stuttered.

"Hold on." Sheik said and managed, against the raging wind and slashing drops, to surround Link with one of his arms. Link hid his face and prayed that they would make it out of this. Although, they could move in water, it didn't mean they were indestructible. If the wind carried them away and the waves brought them against rocks…they could die. Why? Why had he brought them here? Sheik…Sheik's life was in danger because of him and his greedy mind. "Sorry." He whispered so low that he knew no one would hear. "Don't be." He heard. "We'll make it." He looked upward to meet a pair of red eyes so confident that he found himself smiling. If Sheik was here…If Sheik wasn't angry at him, everything would somehow come around. A flapping noise was heard beside them and they turned to see poor Tingle battling against the wind. Sadly for the poor bird, the wind was much too strong and blew him away. "MR. MERMAN!" The unfortunate bird yelled he was carried upward towards the dark and furious clouds. "TINGLE!" Link screamed and held stronger to the wooden ship.

"DON'T GIVE UP MEN!" Prince Cloud ordered. "THIS SHIP WOULD NOT SINK TONIGHT!" He cheered on as he made his way through the panicked crew. "HOLD THOSE ROPES! SECURE THE SAILS! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! HOLL, TAKE JAZZ AWAY AND LOCK YOURSELF AND HIM IN THE CABIN!"

"But…Cloud…" The old man held the nervous canine close to him.

"GO!" And nothing else was needed when the Holl saw the glaring blue eyes. He took the dog by the collar and ran towards the cabin. Well, he would have hadn't it been by the sudden jerk the ship gave. All those aboard, tumbled and fell towards the sloppy, wooden floor as they let out yelps and terrified screams. Some of them landing on their backs and knees. Others on their stomachs and heads. The most unfortunate landing in the cold and merciless waters, like ragged dolls they were swayed back and forth until they drowned or hit against a rock or the same ship, bringing them to their impending death. Cloud fell and scraped his knees his blood tainting the otherwise clean floor. "What…HOLL! JAZZ!" The poor old man and his dog were nowhere to be seen. Could have they fallen off deck? "PRINCE!" He heard Holl's voice from a few metres north. His eyes landed on the old man holding his dog near a tied cannon. He could feel his heart relax and stood up, a stinging pain on his scraped knees. He winced for a moment, but recovered soon enough as his eyes landed on the now pilotless wheel. "Damn…" He cussed and ran, tripping a few times, towards the quarter deck in order to get his hands on that wheel the wind and water not being forgiving at all. The stairs were slippery and had a small cascade flowing on them that made it almost impossible to go up. But Prince Cloud kept going even with the times he fell and hit every part of his body with the stairs' edges. Soon he reached the wheel and with all his might began to take control of the ship's movements and directions. The waves got taller and stronger as the hurricane's powerful winds blew. Water began to sweep with all the deck held and the ship's sails got loose. "H-HOLD THOSE SAILS!" Prince Cloud screamed as his muscles complained about the overexerting pressure from the wheel.

Link and Sheik held on as tightly as they could, but the wind got to strong and made them loose their grip, plummeting towards the angry raging sea. "Link!" Sheik yelled as soon as his body was in the confines of the waters. The young blue-eyed merman looked for his friend and found him not so far away from him. "Sheik! What can we do to help them?" He asked frantically as his eyes looked at the ship above them. "I don't know. But we can't risk getting seen. If we are to help them, they must be unconscious or too shaken to realize what is going on around them." Sheik thought out loud.

"Fine for me." Link agreed and both mermen swam to where the ship was, going surface as soon as they were close enough. The ship looked really majestic fighting the merciless wind and rain, being carried roughly by the gigantic waves that crashed against it. A thunder struck loudly near it, scaring those onboard. "Prince!" One of the sailors yelled. "What say we take the life boats and scram?" The blue eyes looked thoughtful for a moment. "WOULDN'T IT BE MORE DANGEROUS TO FACE SEAS LIKE THESE IN LIFE BOATS?"

"NOT IF THE THUNDER IS TO HIT THE SHIP!" The sailor answered. The prince pondered this thought for a moment. He believed staying on board was safer than hopping into lifeboats and be at the mercy of the waves. But if thunder struck…A bolt of lighting appeared and impacted against the main mast, the wood and sail immediately catching fire; colouring the sky with its red and orange tinge and reflecting yellow on the sea surface. Sheik and Link gasped and hid beneath the seas. Prince Cloud needed not to think anymore.

"DO SO IN A BEAT! TELL THOSE ONBOARD TO GET TO THEM AND AS SOON AS THEY REACH FULL CAPACITY BEGIN LOWERING THEM!" Prince Cloud ordered as he began steering the boat to a different course. Unfortunately, everywhere now was filled with sharp rocks and mountains. The young prince manoeuvred through some of them, a few hits and scratches landing on the ship's sides. Sheik and Cloud followed close behind, avoiding the same rocks the ship did. "Oh no!" Link exclaimed. "The ship would sink if any of those rocks manage to seriously hurt it."

"If that happens, our only goal is to save those that can be saved." Link nodded and swam as carefully as he could; following the ship to its impeding doom.

"CLOUD! THE BOAT IS READY FOR US TO LEAVE!" Holl yelled as the Prince kept driving the ship as best as he was allowed. Some boats had already been lowered. Now all that was left was for him and his attendant to get on one and escape this blasted sea.

"LET'S GET GOING HOLL!" The Prince yelled back.

"CLOUD LOOK OUT!" Holl terrified screamed at the young royal. But it was too late and the ship crashed against a spiked rock sending those on board to the ocean below, screaming to the heavens to save them. Sheik and Link immediately went below to their aid, the latter hoping the prince was alright.

Holl and Cloud were engulfed by ice-cold water as they splashed unto the sea. Their limbs for a moment numb and their bodies oxygen deprived made it almost an impossible task to swim. Yet after a couple of attempts the two made it to the surface, gasping for air and warmth. "PRINCE!" The old man screamed in fear. He knew how to swim but his worn out body didn't allow him for long. To that we add the fright he had due to the past events and we get a newborn scared of the darkness. "I got you Holl." The prince said and held the poor and aged attendant. A passing lifeboat was their salvation and those aboard helped them get up. Meanwhile, some bodies hit the other side of the lifeboat and a few sailors brought up those bodies, never once wondering how they managed to stay afloat. If they had been smart enough they'll have seen a flash of green and red. As soon as the prince and his attendant were safe the boat began to move away from the burning ship. A bark stopped them. "JAZZ!" Cloud yelled searching with his eyes for his poor mutt. The bark came once more and deep blue saw a burning ship and in it…Jazz. "OH MY GOD JAZZ!" Cloud screamed and leaped into the raging blue waters.

"CLOUD!" Holl's arms extended to grab the prince but golden hair was nowhere to be seen. "Over there!" An old sailor pointed towards the fiery ship and Holl's eyes landed upon a figure with golden spikes going up the ship's side. "OH! CLOUD!"

Prince Cloud landed safely on deck, so far no casualties except for the scorching heat. His head turned this way and that looking for his beloved black furred friend. His ears picked up a crackling sound and soon the ship's floors shock for a moment. He looked upward only to see the main mast coming downwards, its strong poll not tough enough to support it due to the wind and fire. The young prince agilely managed to duck and escape harmless from the crashing wood that would have ended his life if he hadn't been fast enough. "JAZZ!" He screamed as soon as he got back on his feet. "JAZZ WHERE ARE YOU?" He asked to the wind. A bark answered and indeed there was his friend up on the quarter deck, surrounded by nothing but raging walls of fire. Cloud extended his arms as wide as he could. "JUMP JAZZ!" He said and looked at his frightened dog. "COME ON BOY, JUMP!" The dog looked restlessly around. "COME ON YOU CAN DO IT, JAZZ!" The dog mustered up its courage and jumped to the waiting arms of his owner. "Good boy." He said proudly and nuzzled the dog's head as he made his way through the fire filled deck. "Let's get out of here." Yet as soon as he was close enough to leave, his footing suddenly left him as the wood broke below him and the only thing he could manage was to throw his beloved furred friend off board. The dog landed with a loud splash and yelped for his master was still stuck inside that burning inferno. Sheik and Link swam towards the wet dog and aided it to get nearer to the lifeboat; hidden from everyone of course. "Sheik where is the prince?" Link asked as soon as the dog was tucked safely into one of the boats. Sheik's face paled greatly. "Sheik?" Link asked once more, worry embedded on his voice. When he received no answer Link gasped. "Don't tell…" A huge explosion resonated around the area and the dark skies tinged red, brown, orange, and yellow; a cloud of smoke and dust leaving the ship that was slowly sinking to the ocean depths. "CLOUD!" Holl's desperate scream was enough to sent Link in frenzy. Sheik didn't even have time to blink before the merman left him. He quickly swam towards the doomed ship and surfaced. The green-tailed merman swam around the debris that floated around, his worried being turning and spinning in search of the young prince; his blue eyes acting like a hawk's in hopes of spotting that golden mane that had caught his attention a few minutes ago. "Where are you?" He asked his voice slightly off for he was scared of what could have been of the human. "Where are you? Where are you?" Among barrels and wooden planks he searched, some ropes sometimes stopping him as accident stuck him in them. "WHERE ARE YOU?" He screamed to the open sea. It wasn't until he looked closer among the spiked rocks near the crashing site that he saw a yellow turf of hair. His lips broke into a smile and he quickly made his way towards the unconscious royal man. His body was maintained afloat thanks to a big wooden beam, but, suddenly, the royal was taken down and sunk into the depths of the sea. Link went below and swam quickly towards the drowning prince. He circled him with his arms and kicked his tail as fast as he could yet the body didn't move. He tried once more, but to no avail. He panicked. If he didn't get the prince up, he could die. Humans needed air to live. He tried and tried, pulled and pulled, but the body didn't cede. It happened differently, the body was taking him down as well. What was going on? Link caught a flash of red. "Sheik!" He screamed as he tried to pull upwards both him and the prince. Sheik disappeared to where the human's legs were and tug on something metallic. Out of the blue Link shot upwards along with the prince and they broke the surface instantly. Sheik following not so far away. "What did you do?" Link asked bewildered as he held the young human close to him.

"The royal's clothing got stuck to a chain that belonged to a cannon. No surprise you couldn't bring the human upward so easily." The red-eyed merman answered. "Better take him to shore. The prince's subordinates must be worrying for him." And saying so, Sheik disappeared below water. Link smiled and swam maintaining the human above. He was worried as well. He hadn't regained consciousness when they reached the surface. Was he dead? He hoped not. But surely they would find out once they arrived to the shoreline. He blushed a bit when he realized how close he was to the royal man. The question that haunted his head was why was so embarrassed all of a sudden? He was a merman, why would he feel so funny being close to the man? Maybe it was because he was a human. Yes. That was probably it.

The sky was a clear blue by the time they made it to the shoreline. Prince Cloud had yet to wake up as Link brought him to the shore, slowly and with difficulty as he dragged the body along the sandy beach. Link was panting and huffing when he let the body go once he felt it would be safe from the sea. Quickly regaining his breath Link moved the young prince's head from one side to another, observing up close the royal's face. He was far more handsome than what he thought. He trailed his finger from the man's temple as he analyzed him. Pale skin, long golden eyelashes, golden eyebrows, high cheeks and strong jaw line that ended on a chin that was slightly pointy. He then trailed from his forehead downwards. He had always been like that. He had done exactly the same when he met Sheik when they were younger. He felt that if he wanted to memorize someone…he needed to touch the person as well, as if his eyesight wasn't good enough to keep someone in memory. And know, he was doing the same. He wanted to remember the young prince forever and so he allowed his finger, his touch to record everything of said man. A fine and small Greek nose, followed by a pair of plush pink lips. He let his finger linger there. They were soft, softer than Zelda's, and softer than anything he had ever touched. Link's eyes watched, as the young prince lay there motionless. Worry settled in. "Mr. Merman." He heard a pair of feet shuffling the sand. "Is he…dead?" Link asked the seagull that came soon to his line of vision. Tingle made his way to the prince's face and with his wings pulled the royal's eyelid, revealing the bluest eyes Link had previously admired. "It's hard to say." Tingle answered and circled the human's body arriving at his feet. Taking one of them with his wings, he placed the human's foot near his ear. The seagull's once wondering face, revealed now disappointment and sadness. Link's eyes got gloomy as he realized that the answer the seagull may give wasn't the one he was expecting. Leaving the foot on the sand and slowly making its way to the merman the seagull answered with words that crushed Link's heart. "His…I can't hear his heart beat." Link gasped and with disbelieving eyes turned to watch the human. To his surprise he found the royal's chest rising and falling slowly. "No, look!" He said relieved. "He's breathing!" His hand combed a bit of yellow hair that fell on the human's face in a caring and gentle manner. He found the spikes to be soft and smooth and he liked the texture of the human's hair so much that he combed a few times more. The seagull seeing his presence not needed anymore flew to a rock nearby in the sea and perched there. In the same rock sitting for witnesses to view, if they were any, sat Sheik looking at the same scene the seagull was. "So, Mr. Merman…what do you say to this?" Tingle asked.

"As long as Link is happy, I don't care if I have to fight even King Daphnes to preserve it." Sheik answered honestly.

"Good to hear it." Tingle said and took off.

"Don't you dare tell anyone of this." Sheik added. "If you do…well, nothing nice will come out of it." His red eye looked menacingly at the bird, who gulped and nodded. Impa and Navi where washed up near Sheik. Impa recovering her senses looked stupefied at the scene before her. "What?" She said and appeared ready to take off and knock some sense into Link. "No! That can't…" Sheik took her and held the trashing crab close. "Don't you dare." He threatened and Impa looked for the first time shaken and fearful. She nodded.

Link touched the prince's cheek. "What would I give to live where you are?" He said lovingly. "What would I pay to stay here beside you?" He said and caressed the smooth skin. "What would I do to see you smiling at me?" The young prince stirred slightly. "If I could walk…if I could run…if I could stay all day in the sun…I would be here, just here with you…" The young prince's eye fluttered open slightly and his hand touched the one that so gently caressed his cheek. He kissed the palm and looked up to see a pair of blue eyes and golden hair, yet his vision remained slightly fuzzy and the sun's rays blinded him for a moment. "I could be part of this world." The prince closed his eyes, his head hurting greatly. Link heard a bark not so far away and decided it was time to go. As quickly as he could he pulled himself to the ocean and with a splashing sound he was gone, leaving the prince dumbfounded and confused. Slowly the prince tried to sit up, but the strain proved fruitless as his body hit the sandy beach, unconsciousness took him over.

Link meanwhile peeked a glance, his body hidden by the rock he was resting on. His thoughts were filled with the prince and the kiss his palm had received. He didn't understand what was happening to him, but his cheeks felt flushed and his heart was beating too fast. He looked at the laying figure of the prince who wasn't alone anymore, a dog barked and played with the seawater as a blonde woman and other two people helped Prince Cloud to his feet. He didn't know when, nor how. But he knew, that something was starting right now. For now, he could only watch and see, but he knew that someday…not so far away...perhaps…he could be part of Prince Cloud's world.


	7. The Heart

**Part seven! :) Enjoy!**

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An evil laughter resonated in the ocean; those close to its source trembled and ran away and only the few brave remained doing their things. "No! No! No! Nooooo!" The owner of the evil laughter exclaimed between fits of terrifying laughter. "Oh no! I can't stand it!" A half man half octopus exclaimed as he leaned his head on the cauldron's edge. "It's too easy!" He laughed some more, his reddish beard and hair moving as his whole being shivered with joy. "The child loves a human? And not just any human…But a PRINCE!" He let another crazy fit of laughter. "Daphnes will LOVE that!" The octopus man said and floated away as his chest moved rapidly up and down as his laughter quenched down. He stopped before his cave's entrance and observed his polipy garden, that as we described previously were beings half plant and half animal, their decaying bodies observing with terror the octopus man before them. "King Daphnes' dumb blonde, lovesick adopted son would make a dazzling addition to my garden." He laughed once more as his shadow hovered above the pain filled screaming polipy of his.

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The ocean couldn't have been any more charming than it did today. Clear as the sky and as cool as a nice spring morning, someone would've thought that today was perfect to take a swim and spend the time relaxing under the sun's rays that managed to pass through the ocean surface. But today…Link didn't feel like doing so. No. Today Link felt like he just needed to sit in a lonely rock on his favourite clearing that was close but not that much to the surface. Yes. That's what he thought he had to do today. Be on his favourite spot, gazing above as he absentmindedly played his musical instrument and thinking of absolutely nothing. Today Link just wanted to be yet not to be there at all. It was quite confusing. His body was there, but his mind was elsewhere; somewhere really peaceful and quiet. In a way, he felt lighter, much more lighter than usual. Not only that, but he had been quite distracted all day. When he woke up he missed breakfast and had to be reminded by Zelda as he left the palace. At the table, people talked to him but he hardly paid attention and when he was asked he had to embarrassingly request to be reminded of what exactly were they talking about. Not only that but he didn't even ate half of what he usually did and left the dining room much earlier than the present. The rest of the morning, well for him it was all blurry. He hardly recalled what he spent all these hours till noon doing. It was as if someone else had done all for him, like if he were some kind of zombie. Much like how he was now. "Link!" Someone called, yet his ears didn't pick anything, aside from the music his little bluish instrument let out as he blew on it. "Link!"… "Link!" …. "LINK!"

"Huh? Wha…Oh! Hi, Zel." He greeted the fuming pink tailed mermaid.

"What's wrong with you? I called you like a bazillion times!" The blonde princess reprimanded, her lips pouting in an adorable way. "I tell you something has been really wrong with you. Since this morning you have been more than an airhead than usually. I find you staring away, not paying attention to anyone nor anything and…AND YOU ARE DROWNING ME OUT AGAIN!" Zelda yelled and her brown knitted together; making the once lovely princess look like an ogre. And she even became angrier when Link didn't respond whatsoever, but merely sat there watching the swirls the light created in the ocean surface, totally alien to the world. He even began to play his instrument once more making Zelda feel so indignant and unapprised. She sighed and sat beside him. "I sometimes even wonder what is it that I put up with you." She turned to smile to her friend who had yet to acknowledge that she was even there. "I sometimes wonder what I see in you." She said in almost a whisper as her eyes took a slightly gloomy look and let herself rest against her friend's shoulder, the instrument echoing in the vast blue.

Zelda woke up due to a slight shaking on her shoulder. Her blue eyes lazily opened to stare at red ones. "Sheik?" She groaned, sitting up. "What? Where's Link?" She questioned as she shared desperately around her. Sheik directed her head and her eyes landed on a scene she never would've believed hadn't it been for Sheik's apparent sigh. There, in a circle made of fish and other sea creatures was Link dancing as he played his small instrument. He sometimes laughed so merry and joyful that it seemed surreal. Zelda didn't believe it for two reasons. The first one, Link was rather shy when it came to socializing. He would be beat red to the point of fainting even with the simplest greeting. The second one, Link totally abhorred dancing. He claimed that was something for girls and ridiculous mermen to do. And yet, here he was: dancing with the sea creatures and even enjoying it fully. He twirled and spun like crazy. He made dolphin's spins and moved from side to side like an algae. His music was even the happiest Zelda had ever heard him play. It was bouncy, catchy and moving. Zelda's inner soul was dancing along with the music, but her heart felt empty. She had never made him smile like that, not even close. What could have happened that made him grin so stupidly? What made him play such magnificent and glorious music? What…What happened to Link? Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her. Yes. That must be it. Link couldn't actually be so happy that he even stood up to dance. No. Of course she wanted him to be so happy that he would…But she wanted to be the one that made him do so. She was selfish, she admitted it. Yet her selfishness came from the profound affection she held for the green tailed merman. And therefore, her she was trying to convince herself, that her blue eyes were falling prey to an illusion. Sadly, the more she stared, the more she realized that what was unfolding before her was the cruel reality. She felt like crying. "What happened?" She managed to ask for she felt her throat was about to close up.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sheik looked at her with his one visible eye. Zelda's own were two big blue of confusion and a slight tinge of hope. He sighed. He knew he was about to crush a little girl's dream. But…he would prefer to fulfil Link's own than any others. "He fell in love." Zelda blacked out. Sheik caught her and shook his head while he stared at Link, who merely danced and played oblivious to what his poor friend was passing through.

* * *

"So Sheik…" Link asked after they had left Zelda with her caretaker. "She just passed out?"

"Yes." Sheik answered for the tenth time.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"You didn't have anything to do with it?" Link pestered on, his mouth smirking all the way.

"Absolutely nothing." The red-eyed merman answered. Link chuckled. "I'm sure you gave her one of those breathtaking kisses you are famous for."

"THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" Sheik countered flustered. Link broke in a killing laughter. "STOP IT!" Sheik's face looked like a tomato. Link knew perfectly well how touchy Sheik was with that topic. It was the only time, he ever saw his friend loose his composure. But what could he do? It was just hilarious whenever he could piss his friend like this. It was a once in ten years golden opportunity. The best part was…poor Sheik had never properly kissed with someone. That's what made it even more hilarious. The one time he did, poor mermaid collapsed on his arms. It wasn't even a kiss. Sheik happened to turn around at the wrong time and well…lips clashed. The mermaid apparently had had a crush on Sheik for a long time and fainted due to both embarrassment and excitement. It had been on one of those kiddie excursions the palace sometimes organized. Many young merfolk were invited, so…you can say Sheik had had a whole audience when this happened. Since then, Link had never lost an opportunity to bug his friend with such topic. "SERIOUSLY, THAT WASN'T EVEN A KISS!" Sheik countered, those around looking flabbergasted upon seeing the usually stoic merman show something else apart that mask he was known for. Soon murmurs arose, and Sheik hid his face on his hands. "See what you did?"

"Oh, please!" Link exclaimed patting his friend's shoulder while wiping some tears on his eyes. "Since when does it bother you what people say?" Sheik just grunted. "Come one, let's go to the clearing."

"You really enjoy that place don't you?" Sheik asked still his face hidden behind his hands.

"Yes." Link said with a smile. Sheik let his hands drop and sighed deeply. "Fine." Link flashed his teeth and kicked off, followed by Sheik.

"Sheik?" He asked at his friend who lay on his back, his eyes closes, completely relaxed. His only way of knowing he had listened was the grunt his friend made. "Ever…have you ever…nah. Forget it." He heard movement behind him and he knew his friend had stood up and staring at him intently. He could feel it. "Have I ever what?" Sheik asked curiously. He had a small hunch of what he would ask, but preferred to keep it shut. With Link he never knew after all. The young merman blushed a bit and twiddled with his fingers. He had no idea how to approach the topic and therefore was more than nervous if the way his heartbeat gave a hint. He gulped strongly and looked at Sheik square in the eye. "Have you ever…Have you ever…Has…Has your heart ever beaten so strong you fear it will explode or come out of your chest?" The hunch was right if the question Link asked was directing to where he thought. Sheik pondered for a minute. He had felt it. Sure. But he doubted it was anywhere near how Link felt it. He had felt embarrassed a moment ago and his heart beat to a rate he feared it would notice. And when he thought of that it began beating even faster and stronger. But if what he thought, if the meaning Link gave to his beating heart was the one Sheik imagined….then….Sheik sighed and rested once more on the rock. "Yes." He answered simply. He needed to go deeper.

"Really?" Link asked astonished and crept closer to his friend, whom in response raised a delicate golden brow. "Why so amazed?" Link wondered for a moment. "Well…" He began. "For someone as cold and icy as you, well…never expected it." Sheik snorted and playfully pushed Link away. "I'm not that stone cold."

"More like mountain like." Link retorted with a chuckle. Sheik frowned, but Link was unfazed. "Anyway…what did you make out of it?"

"Excuse me?"

"What was the cause of your beating heart?" Link asked interested and rested his head on his fist.

"Well…" Now here he paused. He never foresaw for Link to take this course. He tried to rethink for a moment to try and see if he could get more out of him without betting on himself. "There were many reasons. When did yours begin to beat like that? What made it react like that?" Link got beat red and looked away. His twiddled with his fingers faster for a while, but then glared at Sheik. He got taken aback for a bit but kept his ground. "Hey! No fair! I asked first!"

"Well, I could answer your question now. But what if my answer altered the reasoning you may have for the cause of your beating heart. It very possibly may affect your way of processing and make the possible reason the actual reason instead of vice versa. Therefore, you must answer me first and the motive of your heart's beat may actually be the real motive instead of a made up alternative that resulted from the external reasoning caused by the reason my heart's beat." Sheik said smartly. Link was beyond dumbfounded, his eyes showed nothing but extreme confusion and the beginnings of a headache. Sheik knew he had defeated Link. He might be smart, but Sheik was smarter and more knowledgeable. Link never stood a chance. The red-eyed merman smirked. "So?"

"Well…I…I…" Link began still a bit disorientated by Sheik's words. Sheik placed a supporting hand on his shoulder. "Whatever the reason…I'll help you figure it out." Link's eyes looked at red one and all he could see was indescribable warmth. Slowly, he let out a breath and hung his head, the way he usually did when he was thinking and recalling. "I…I felt this strange swelling…" He swallowed. "This strange and curious filling in my chest…it made my heart go all bidi-bidi-bom-bom like…like if…it were one of Impa's drums playing a fast tempo or something. It was weird and a bit uncomfortable. Yet…it felt nice. Not only that but, my cheeks felt like if they were on fire. I couldn't stop feeling as if they were burning." Sheik looked at his friend and patter his shoulder lightly. He already knew the answer to his question. Yet he wanted for him to go on and let everything out. Link gulped and continued. "And even though all of this was happening, it felt nice. It was a warm feeling, like when you drink nice and hot coral tea. Something really nice and welcoming. Yes. That sort of was the feeling. I really enjoyed it. It was fuzzy and tickled my stomach, it was soft and tender yet at the same time strong and powerful. Like thunder, it just came and shook everything in me. But I really, really liked it."

"When did this feeling emerge, Link?" Sheik asked reassuringly. His friend though, looked like he was having an inner fight. Sheik simply smiled welcomingly. "Whatever your answer, remember…I'll always be here for you." Link's eyes lit up and he returned the gesture to Sheik. Sadly, he still looked nervous and slightly doubtful. Sheik ruffled his hair, to which Link frowned and chuckled. He knew his friend wouldn't ever betray him or hurt him. So, what was he so nervous about? Rejection? Repulsion? Sheik would never think badly of him. So, why was he so uncertain to tell him? He'll never know if he didn't try. He sighed and looked hesitantly at Sheik. "I…I…I got it when I rescued the prince." His cheeks got that reddish colour that seemed to begin to be always present on him. He closed his eyes, afraid of what might his red tailed friend may think. But, after a while, when he heard no insulting words, nor received any painful hits, he opened them only to find his friend grinning. "Link…" Sheik said friendly beyond comparison. "What you felt…Why your heart beat like mad…Well, that's the feeling of love." Link's face was one of amazement.


	8. The Enlightment

Sorry for taking so long to upload. :S I've been having lots to do lately. :) But here it is! Finally Ch. 8! :D

* * *

Love? Is it love? Why hadn't he realized it before? It was so obvious! The constant staring, the heart fluttering, the sudden stop of your breathing, the swelling chest feeling, the cheek burning, the fuzziness, the strange stomach sensations, the muteness, the falling feelings…everything indicated love. So, why had it been so hard for Link to realize such wonderful emotion? Was it because he had never been in love? Perhaps…But how did Sheik know? Had he been in love before? Had he? Then why didn't Link know about such thing? They were best friends! Surely, he would tell Link everything…right? Right? But then…Why did he know how love felt? Was he hiding something? Link's eyes turned mischievous and he smirked evilly. "Hey Sheik…" He began. The red-eyed merman immediately perked up, when Link had that look it just meant one thing: trouble. The green-tailed merman crept closer to his friend and snaked an arm around the poor red-eyed young man making it impossible for him to go away. Sheik gulped and nervously looked at his friend. "Link?" Sheik's voice was a bit shaky and his eyes looked from one side to another, avoiding looking at Link directly.

"Tell me Sheik…" Link began, trying to catch Sheik's gaze. "Tell me, how do you know that what I feel is love?" Sheik's heart stopped for a moment and his struggling ceased. Link wasn't as distracted and aloof as he looked. Link's grin couldn't get any bigger. He had struck a nerve! "It seems my friend you have loved someone." He chuckled as Sheik's one visible eye stared at him in amazement. What could he say? What could he possibly say to avoid the topic? The silence stretched for a moment. Link had him now where he wanted. "Did I say something that bothered you?" He taunted. "Oh my! Then you have indeed loved someone! Who is she? Is she lovely? Do I know her? Do I?" Sheik in desperation tried to swim away. He couldn't tell him! If he did, he wouldn't stop bothering him about it. Sadly, Link held him firmly. When did he get so strong? "Oh no mister! You answer me right now! Is she thin or slightly chubby? Is her face round, oval or long? Are her wrists tiny and delicate, or strong and big? Is she blonde, brunette or ginger?" Sheik tried to pry himself away from his friend's grasp, but somehow Link managed to turn his quest into a kid game. He swam about and twisted his arms painfully. "You are going nowhere until I know who's our fortunate lady." He threatened, his blue eyes darkening with the passing of seconds. Sheik cursed the higher ups, why had he befriended such a nosy friend? "So…who is she?" Sheik looked about, trying to find something that could help him escape his friend's claws. "Sheik…answer me." Sheik gulped. He really enjoyed Link's company…but now how he wished he hadn't ever met him. He twisted and turned but all was in vain. Link had him tightly and painfully wrapped. He struggled once more, but that only made the green-tailed merman increase the pressure. "One…" He began. Sheik gasped and tried harder. He always fell for Link's count. It could look foolish to the eyes of others, but to Sheik, Link sometimes was like an authority. He had that streak of leadership, that came every now and then, that made Sheik just want to follow and obey. "Two…" Sheik gulped. He was lost, so utterly lost and his mental stability and strength was slowly receding and disappearing. He turned his head to look at his blonde friend and prayed with his one red-eye to Link. He prayed that he left it at that. His blue eyes narrowed and Sheik knew that no matter what he did or say, Link was not granting his request. "Three." He said firmly and Sheik's last barrier fell. The red-tailed merman sighed and slowly sat on the rock they previously were.

"The merfolk…" He began in a whisper. Link sat beside him, his arms crossed and his glare never faltering. "The merfolk I fell in love with…It happened about three years ago…"

"Three years?" Link's amazement was noticeable. "Well…that's long. Why didn't you say anything?"

"What could I possibly say?" Sheik asked, his voice letting go the desperation he felt. A trait that was quite rare in him. He ruffled his hair. "We aren't exactly…compatible." His one red-eye showed how downcast he felt about this topic. Link didn't like were the conversation was going. It clearly bothered and hurt his friend to talk about it. But what could he do? He wanted to know everything that happened in his life. It was the least he could do after all he had put him through with his own. Sheik knew everything about him, while Link barely knew what happened to him. It was fair, wasn't it? Besides, if he ever needed help he wanted to let know that he would be there for him. And if that were ever to happen, he had to at least know how it came to be, know about what occurred in his life. If it meant he had to force it out of him, he will use force to get it. Take now for example. He apparently had love problems and Link was to help him fix them. It's what friends do. It was the least he could do. So, upon hearing his friend's last words, he had cards to play as well.

"Compatible?" Link asked, his eyes scrutinizing Sheik. "Compatible?" He hissed angrily. "What do you mean by compatible?" Sheik flinched on the spot.

"W-Well…" He began timidly. "Let's say…I'm not good enough."

"NOT GOOD ENOUGH?!" Link yelled, his whole being reacting as if he had touched fire. "NOT GOOD ENOUGH!?" He asked sarcastically. His eyes turned a shade darker.

"Link. Just please…" He tried but was interrupted by his friend's explosion.

"SHEIK IF ANYTHING SHE ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!" Link pulled at his bangs. "NOT GOOD ENOUGH?! MY FRIEND'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH?! DID SHE ACTUALLY SAY THAT? DID SHE FUCKING DARED TO SAY THAT?!" Link questioned, still not believing what Sheik had just said. "IS SHE BLIND? PLEASE TELL ME SHE IS FUCKINGLY BLIND!? WHAT ABOUT YOU IS EXACTLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"

"Link…" Sheik reached for Link but he swatted his hand away.

"NO SHEIK! TELL ME WHO SHE IS? TELL ME SO I CAN SET HER RIGHT! THAT SEA URCHIN! THAT…THAT…THAT GRINDYLOW! YES! SHE IS A GRINDYLOW! WOULD HEAR ME! OH YES SHE WILL! I'LL FUCKING TEAR HER VOICE FROM THAT NECK OF HER! SO HELP ME POSEIDON I WILL! I'LL MAKE CEVICHE OUT OF HER TAIL! OH YES I WILL!" Link ranted as he moved around, his arms flailing at nothing in particular. Sheik worried a bit that he would hurt himself. Link rarely got angry but when he did he was an unstoppable force of fury. "SO…MIND GIVING ME THE NAME OF THAT LOVELY GIRL?"

"Link…" Sheik said as he gazed at Link's rage filled eyes. "She never said that. But, its what I feel." The anger and hatred Link was emitting diminished greatly upon those words and the blue typhoon in his eyes ceased.

"But, why would you feel that?" Link asked taking a seat beside Sheik, who once more returned to his sombre aura. "Sheik, believe me you have everything to get any girl you desire. You are handsome enough, manly enough, kind enough and gentlemanly enough. So, never say you could ever be less than what you are. Never, you heard me?" Sheik snorted, as if Link's words were nothing but that: words. Link raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" Sheik asked. "So, with all you mentioned could I actually make royalty accept me?" Link's eyes opened wide and his voice failed him, as he was to answer his friend's question. He couldn't believe what he had heard. Sheik loved a royal. Sheik loved a royal mermaid. No matter how much he thought and hoped, there was no way he could help his friend with that. Royalty only mixed with royalty. And unfortunately Sheik wasn't. It wasn't that he thought poorly of Sheik. No! He could have any mermaid he wanted and them crawling to reach him with their pretty hands and colourful nails. He had everything a mermaid could possibly desire and even more. The real problems were the other involved parties: royal family and nobles. They were really cold to those outside the acceptable regime and even suspicious about their intentions and feelings. They seemed to believe there was some sort of boundary between them; that those outside nobility must remain outside. Link never liked that kind of vain and prepotent attitude and therefore called those in the nobility the Sea Snails. Why? Because as the shells of the sea snails are pretty, so is the nobility's extravagant beauty; yet, the inside, is not that pretty at all. Not that he had anything against sea snails and that they were ugly, no. It was just a metaphor. "So…Who is this girl you…" Link was interrupted when a voice called for him. Sheik sighed relieved.

"LINK!" Both mermen heard and turned towards the source of the sound. "SHEIK!"

"Hey Navi!" Link yelled while Sheik gave a relieved sigh.

"You'll never guess!" She moved up and down excitedly.

"What?" Link asked, Navi's excitement being contagious to him. Blue eyes sparkled with happiness. Navi giggled. "Tell me please!" She laughed out loud. Link took the poor fish by her fins and gave her a malicious glare. Navi gulped. Her joke had gone too far. She knew Link was rather impatient and yet she tested that patience for too long. The poor small ocean dweller gulped and smiled a nervous grin. "Um…Well…" Link growled loudly. "I found were Prince Cloud lives!" Poor Navi yelled, startling Link, whose face transformed from really annoyed to utter joyfulness.

"For real?" He asked surprised beyond belief that he forgot how to breathe for a moment. Navi nodded carefully, afraid of an outburst. Poor of her, she didn't wait long enough for as soon as she relaxed Link screamed wildly startling Navi so much that she almost got a heart attack. Sheik remained impassive as usual, watching Link swim in circles and do small pirouettes in the water. He chuckled inwardly when Link got too dizzy from overexcitement. "So…" He said and swam towards Link. "What are you going to do with this new information?" The red-tailed merman asked. Blue eyes shone brightly and Link laughed.

"Well…that's quite easy!" He said and smiled his white-pearly teeth. "Visit him of course!" Link answered as if it where the most obvious thing in the world. "We'll swim up to his castle. And I'll begin to make some noise, along with Navi and you of course. When he peeks out to see what's going on we'll…"

"We'll what?" A fearsome and known voice asked from behind. The young blonde merman gulped and turned slowly, his eyes landing on a pissed crab with reddish eyes.

"Impa..Hi.." The scared green-tailed merman greeted weakly. "I didn't see you there." He stuttered.

"Of course you didn't." She snarled. The once regal crab was loosing her composure little by little and all just because of a puny merman with air for brains. "While you were off in la-la-land I was left behind worried if you'll return or not from your petty adventure to a human ship. Did you even think about what could have happened if the humans saw you?"

"Impa, not…"

"What could have become of you? No! No! You just went and did your thing! And to top it off you fell in love WITH A HUMAN! A HUMAN FOR POSEIDON'S SAKE! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" Link lost it.

"NOTHING! NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ME!" He yelled and swam threateningly before Impa, his once blue eyes a dark and deep black. "I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH WHOMEVER I PLEASE! NO CRAB, NO KING, NO OCEAN WILL STOP ME FROM THAT! AND IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME I HAVE A MEETING TO ATTEND TO!" He passed by her in an attempt to go away, but the crab proved too agile and skilful and immediately appeared before him, her tiny pincers pushing him back. Her whole façade for a moment seemed to be one of utter tiredness and deception, but soon that turned back to her emotionless mask. "No." She ordered. "You are to stay here. This is your home." She pushed him back once more. "You believe the seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake." Link swam backwards a bit as she kept on intimidating him. Link thought for a brief moment that he could overpower the compositor, but his music died out as fast as it grew. "You dream about going up there, but that is one big mistake." The crab kept on. "What is it that doesn't satisfy you Link? This ocean blue is full of wonders and colourful places, what could you possibly want to look for up there? Under the sea is much more better than up there, the sun burns your back and the heat wears you down to almost nothing." The crab forced him to take a sit on a lonesome rock. "Life is much simpler here. Much more simpler than up there. Not only that…but…have you seen how humans treat our kind? Inside bowls they keep them, inside crystal bowls for the rest of their lives. What kind of life is that? Kept inside a place for all eternity, not able to move freely as your heart desires. A caged life inside transparent walls that sometimes give you the fleeting feeling that you may perhaps go beyond but soon find yourself knocking against some sort of glass. One goes insane in a few months. And when they get bored with you…they fry you, cut you, boil you…eat you. They eat us Link! How can you possibly dream of going up there?" Impa asked desperately as her snappers held unto the blue eyed youngster, her own searching for something in his face that may reveal a speck of recognition, something that may anchor her to dig deeper until she could convince the young merman to forget about the outside. Yet…all she got as answer was a depressed sigh.

"He's out there." And saying so the young merman pushed away the crab and swam away, followed by both Navi and Sheik. Leaving a crab to sit alone, in a rock illuminated by a few rays of light. Leaving a crab with a heavy heart, for she was about to do the most treacherous and inhuman thing possibly to force the merman to stay. To save Link from the outside she was prepared to even be hated for eternity.


	9. The Destruction

**Part 9. Sorry for taking so long, I've had lots of thing to do this past two months. Not only that but I've got a slight writer's blockage. :P**

* * *

"Link…Link wait up….Link! Wait! WAIT!"

"What Navy?" The small blue fish flinched at the anger embedded in Link's voice. The blue scaled being shrunk and ever so slowly moved away from the seething rage overflowing our young merman. "WHAT?" The silence was his answer. He growled slightly and floated away, followed by Sheik and further back our poor small Navy. She knew that Link could be easily bothered and that his patience wasn't one to be meddled with, and yet she had pushed him far enough, knowingly that he had been enraged a few moments before. It was her complete and utter fault. For an indefinite and unexplainable reason her heart had been giving flips, like waves against the shore, that left her with a unbalanced peace, a sick and nauseous feeling and her whole body shivering from time to time. It resembled a fever of sorts, but an emotional fever. Almost like an ill omen. It would have been fine if the black and depressing aura surrounded her…it didn't. The negative appearance surrounded her beloved friend Link. As thick as smoke, it enveloped him in a veil of utter darkness and emptiness. She was willing to give her all to stop that suffocating cloud from shattering Link. He was way to precious for her to let it do that. Yet for now she'll let it be for a while due to Link's emotional instability.

They swam following the raging bull before them. It was almost an eternal tail chase. They went up, down, left, right, took a curve near a trench, small through algae forests and various different coral reefs. Despite the long distance the trio had covered, the leader seemed unaffected, while his two followers where in the brink of collapsing; both mermen and fish had used more energy than what they could and were barely holding on. "Link…" Navy huffed. "I…believe…we…should rest…"

"Why?" He asked irritated. "Why? Why? Why? WHY? WHY?" The merman spun around and missed by a few inches crashing against the fish. "WHY? WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO?"

"Link cal…" Sheik began, his red eyes flickering between desperation and tiredness.

"CALM DOWN?" Link retorted. "CALM DOWN?...How can I? How can I possibly calm down with everyone telling me what I must do? HOW CAN I POSSIBLY CALM DOWN WITH EVERYONE TELLING ME WHO I MUST BE? WHAT I MUST FEEL? I just…" His shaking hands passed through his golden mane. "I just…" He tremblingly and sluggishly let his body sink; the small bubbles around his frame gave the scene a sombre and depressing look. Sheik and Navy followed him closely, watching intently Link's posture and the defeated way he carried himself. "Link…" Navy whispered so quietly, as if her voice could easily shatter the merman.

"I just…" His tail touched the sandy ground and right then and there he crumbled. His hands fisted his hair, and his whole body racked with sobs and hiccups. Sheik sat beside him and cradled him in his arms, combing his hair with his fingers hoping that his touch would somehow relieve Link from his grief. Navy hugged Link's arm like a lifeline, her small and soft fins drawing circles every now and then, trying with all she got despite the exhaustion due to the swimming and her small size.

"Shhh…Shh…It's okay." Sheik reassured him with small and gentle touches. "It's alright."

"I just…"Link sobbed. "I just love him so much." His blue eyes locked with red ones. "I love him Sheik." Sheik nodded and held him tighter, rocking them back and forth slowly while calming Link with delicate caresses. He had a promise to keep.

"Your Majesty…" A soft yet imposing voice resounded in the throne room. The old king looked towards the entrance, leaving whatever paperwork he was revising at the moment aside, and paid full attention to his most loyal subject.

"Come in, Impa." He commanded with a slight wrinkly smile of his. The crab swam regally before the king. Her claws and body reflecting the sunlight that managed to find its way through the walls of the castle. It's light frame floating up and down as it made its way along the blue waters of the sea.

"Your Highness." It bowed respectfully before the monarch. "I'm here to inform you from something terrible." The monarch's eyes widened and his small brown orbs looked expectantly at the crab, the smile a tight line. "It's about Link." She took the leap. The smile the royal member once held, vanished instantly.

Link felt drowsy and exhausted…extremely exhausted. He had vented his frustrations once more since the day at the cave and it was already becoming too troublesome for his friends. Or so he thought. He was slightly ashamed, no very ashamed of himself that he had been a bother to them for the past weeks, going in strange and unpredictable mood swings, zoning out in the middle of a chatter, no paying attention when called, getting irritable and unbearable for moments, and making them worry like a mother whale for its offspring. He wished he didn't have the answer to the reason why his behaviour had been less than friendly; yet, he couldn't deny the fact that it had been the only recent event that could lead to this changes in him was none other than the sudden love he felt for Prince Cloud. But how could he deny it? In fact, how couldn't he have fallen in love with him? It was inevitable. He had this aura, this beautiful and marvellous aura that lured him in and made him do crazy things, have crazy thoughts. It was almost like a light for a tiny fish. Addictive, attractive. Whatever it was, he craved it like a madman; an ambrosia so delicious that sooner or later would make him kill for it and he wouldn't mind whatsoever for at least his possession of that luscious ambrosia would be definite. He would own it and that would make him the happiest merman on the planet. But…oh! Would that triumph be never to occur. He was a merman bound to the sea…Ambrosia was a human forever free in the surface. He was to be forever apart from the one who held his heart. So far away and yet so close to the grasp; it was just too painful for him.

Link sighed deeply and sat up, Sheik's arms in a loose grip. "Link…" Sheik tentatively whispered. A faked smile was his answer. Sheik understood Link better than what he understood himself. And even if he tried to put a brave and strong front, deep inside he was crumbling and breaking apart. For Sheik it was a truth he couldn't, despite his best efforts, hide. And so, he reacted by giving Link the sternest look he mustered. Link flinched a bit and looked away. His eyes betraying every happy and go-lucky emotion he tried to give away. "Link…" Sheik tried once more. He didn't desire for his friend to keep on being sad, he had to let it all out before that same sadness ate him completely. But Link wasn't having it and therefore decided to swim away.

Three pairs of fins stopped before the entrance of a cave. "Um…" Link slowly began, two pairs of eyes looked expectantly at him. "I…I…" His hand scratched the nape of his head and anyone could tell by the slight colour of his cheeks that he was slightly embarrassed. Navi`s lips curved upwards. "Aw. We know." Her fins moved in a lazily way. "Don't worry. Everything is okie-dokie." Link scratched her scaly blue head and chuckled. Sheik hid a faint smile with the back of his hand. If only they knew that their happiness would be short lived.

"Hey Link! Guess!" Navi chirped with her usual perkiness. The young merman just stared at her confounded. "Wait! No! Close your eyes! Close them! C-L-O-S-E. T-H-E-M." She said and as Link giggled she placed her fins over his eyes. "Sheik! Sheik! Is it ready? Is it?" She yelled at the retreating red tailed merman. "SHEIK!"

"Yes. Yes it is." A red eye narrowed.

"GREAT!" Navi screamed almost leaving Link deaf. "Oh. Sorry. So…COME! COME THIS WAY!" She practically pulled at our merman's hair to bring him forward were supposedly some wonderful and magnificent surprise awaited.

"Navi! Stop it!" Link pleaded while attempting to pry the blue fish from his mane.

"Stop being a baby and follow me!" Navi bit upon his finger. Link flinched upon the touch and hissed sharply. At last they reached the centre of the cave where light, like water on a river, poured from the opening in the ceiling, gracing Sheik with its touch, who waited for his two companions patiently beside something hidden beneath a ragged brown cloth. That something was big and broad, gigantic compared to young Sheik beside it. Navi lightly pushed Link on the shoulders indicating for the merman to stop and Link did so; his shoulders tense from not being able to see at all, darkness scared him quite a bit, and he was the kind of person to trust his eyesight far more than his hearing and other senses. It sounded childish even to him, but he couldn't help it, he was that frightened from such. "OKAY SHEIK!" A pitchy voice emerged from upon the darkness. He recognized that came from Navi. "READY?" He didn't hear Sheik's voice but he figured he had either nodded or answered by glancing at the fish. "LINK! OPEN YOUR EYES! HURRY! HURRY!"

"Yes. I heard you loud and clear Navi." At first, his eyesight was slightly blurry and showed only silhouettes and black splotches here and there. Soon, the amorphous shapes took their respective borders and the black splotches cleared giving way to colourful and bright objects as well as lively figurines. Surely the small cave in which Link and his friends kept their treasures was a sight to behold even for the eyes of the intrusive figure near the cave entrance. His presence was yet to be noticed and the uncloaked persona was yet to intrude upon what was unfolding before its very eyes.

Link's eyes strode towards the clothed giant, his blue eyes racking every single crease and bend of the cloth wondering what could it be that rested behind the folds. "So?...What's this?" He questioned nervously.

"This," The blue wonder's fin pointed left. "Is a present for you from us." The big grin upon scaly lips created a shiver to run through Link's back. There was absolutely not a single thought that could counter the fact that Navi was well known among the group for her black humour and ill-behaviour. She was a natural born prankster. Link prayed to whatever god that managed to hear him for Navi to be, for once, a normal and generous fish. "Sheik, would you please." The red-eyed merman nodded and very gently took hold of the cloth and tugged ever so softly on it. The ragged cover gave little resistance and soon by gravity descended upon the sandy ground, uncovering little by little its mysteries: a spiky, perfectly sculptured hair, strong yet kind face with piercing eyes, high cheekbones, a gallant chin followed by a slim yet tough neck, big and broad shoulders covered by steel plates, hard chest with a fang-baring wolf surrounded by thorny vines, muscular arms holding a sword, powerful legs, one propped over a shield…Link's eyes couldn't have been more amazed than now. Before him was the object of his affections. Before him, splayed with its entire regal and majestic aura, was the embodiment of his very dreams and wildest ideas. Before him laid the very statue that Prince Cloud had received as a present from the old man, who apparently was his caretaker. His heart gave the biggest leap so far and thudded loudly inside his chest. "Oh…my…" What could he possibly say with empty lungs for his breath had been taken away moments ago? Link's eyes followed every single line that made the contour of the statue, every single curve, dent, hole; everything couldn't escape his hungry eyes. He was lost in it. His whole world reduced to the statue; to him it felt almost as if having Prince Cloud himself standing right in front of him. The poor green-tailed merman was so embellished with the figure before him that he never noticed the shadow that lurked behind him. And without a care in the world he launched himself towards the unmoving Prince Cloud and hugged it tightly. "OH GUYS!" He said and spared a glance to Sheik and Navi, who were grinning like dummies. "HOW COULD I EVER THANK YOU? IT IS THE BEST GIFT I COULD EVER ASK FOR!"

"Don't mind at all." Navi said and blushed bashfully.

"We are just pleased to know that you are happy with it." Sheik added, although one could see the slight pinkish tone his cheeks got.

"You are really the best friend I could ask for." Link's eyes returned to the love of his life looking it in the eyes as if it were Prince in flesh and bone, alive as he, and as wonderfully handsome as the same. He then giggled like a silly girl in love. "It looks just like him." His finger traced the statue's face tenderly, as if it were his flesh he was touching. "It even has his eyes." He rested his forehead on its own. He chuckled loudly. "Why, Cloud, run away? With you nonetheless?" He chuckled once more and hid his face on the stony neck. "This…This is all so sudden…" He laughed but his laughter ended when a clearing of a throat rumbled in the cave. Three pairs of eyes turned to the entrance and there, floating with a looming and angry aura, was King Daphnes. "…Fa-Father."

"I consider myself a reasonable merman." The seething King swam menacingly forward. "I set certain rules," Clenched teeth and a permanent from on his forehead, King Daphnes made his way around the cave, eyeing all pieces of human creation with a condescending eye. Impa following close by, receiving glares from the three to whose Daphnes rage was set upon. She shivered but otherwise remained calm and collected. "And I expect those rules to be obeyed."

"But…" Link tried but was cut short by King Daphnes.

"Is it true you rescued a HUMAN from drowning?" He demanded with a disgusted look on his face when he mentioned the word human.

"I had to…" Link's eyes looked at his stepfather with a pleading look, but the old merman was too far-gone.

"Contact between the human world and the merworld is strictly forbidden. Link, you know that! Everyone knows that!" He clenched his hands on his trident until his knuckles turned white, his face a dangerous red.

"He would have died and…"

"ONE LESS HUMAN TO WORRY ABOUT!" He bellowed. Navi hid behind Sheik's shoulder.

"You don't even know him." Link pointed out indignantly. Daphnes' eyebrows rose in utter astonishment, his eyes disbelieving what he was hearing.

"Know him?!" He yelled. "Know him? I don't have to know him!" He swam towards Link and pointed an accusing finger at him. "They are all the same! Spineless, savage, harpooning, fish-eaters, incapable of any feeling, of any compassion, of anything and…"

"FATHER! I LOVE HIM!" Link outcried in an emotional outburst. But upon noticing what he had let out, he gasped in horror and covered his mouth with his hands, as if trying to recover his words and get them to enter his mouth as if they had never left his lips. Triton's eyes couldn't have been wider and more shocked than this moment and they searched his son for a sign of joke or lie, yet he only found his words to be true and a consumable anger and rage filled him.

"What?" He whispered dangerously, his hair flowing with the water giving the Sea King a more threatening look. "Have you lost your senses? HE'S A HUMAN FOR POSEIDON'S SAKE! YOU ARE A MERMAN! A MALE NONETHELESS."

"I don't care!" Link yelled back. "You have no power at all over whom I get to love!" Daphnes' trident glowed perniciously with a golden aura, causing Link to retreat a few spaces away from him. "Fa-Father?"

"So help me Link," The trident golden colour turned a bright red. "I am going to get through you. And if this is the only way…So be it."

"What are you…" Link stuttered, Sheik immediately got to his side and pushed him behind his person protectively as the first ray was expulsed. The red beam hit a couple of vases and boxes at the very top of the cave, a sickening crash and clink was heard as the exploded in multiple pieces. Link alarmed tried to get away from Sheik but he held him, afraid that in his madness King Daphnes' would hurt him unintentionally. A second beam was fired and music boxes and books were destroyed. Link's begging drowned by the sound of the objects destruction. "Father!" He begged and Sheik could feel the despair and sadness of his voice. "No!" More beams and loose pieces of what once were the most prized possessions of the merman fell to the ocean floor. "No, please!" His voice now laced with sobs and whimpers. "Father…stop!" More destruction followed and more beams were launched, as every single one of Link's treasures fell upon the mightiness of Daphnes' trident. "No!" Link cried and openly sobbed now, but the King would have none of it. He was tired of his stepson's stubbornness and disobedience. He was resolved to change him and would do anything to keep him from dreaming of the surface and of those petty humans he so much loved. It may hurt, yes it will. What father could possibly enjoy torturing his son? None, that was sure. But he had to if he wished to ensure his safety. And so, he kept on destroying every single one of the trinkets inside this cave. Until only one remained, the one he hated the most of them all: The human's statue.

Link seeing his objects and precious artefacts destroyed cried. But none of his cries were heard among all the wreckage. Yet, soon all ceased and he dared to open his eyes and look above Sheik's shoulders to see what was it all about. Between pieces and parts of what once were his belongings, stood Prince Cloud's statue, mighty and powerful among all, as if he were in the middle of a war zone, triumphantly standing among corpses of fallen enemies. So beautiful among all the hopelessness. Link's heart swelled with love and adoration. A ray light caught his attention turning his eyes towards the source of it. And with a gasp he saw his stepfather's dangerous trident glowing stronger than ever. He instantly knew what was about to happen and his whole being froze with fear and uttermost sorrow. "No…" He whimpered. "No…" He felt movement in front of him, yet he was so immersed on begging that he didn't paid attention to it. "Father…please…"

King Daphnes' was seeing red. This was the human his son had fallen spell to. This was the cause of all his worries, sorrows, angers, and rage. This was the one he was bound to destroy forever. He took careful aim. "Father? NO! FATHER, NO! STOP NO!" and with a last swing of his trident he let the most powerful beam so far. The ray flew among the waters, cackling and crackling all at its path. He never heard his son's plea. The ray travelled until it hit and all turned white as his target was obliterated.

With his work done King Daphnes let out a relived sigh, but upon seeing his son his relief turned to grief in a matter of instant. The merman quickly made his way to the statue, his eyes letting out tears of sadness and frustration, his hands scurrying among the stones of the statue. Navi too was there moving whatever pebble she could. King Daphnes was beyond cofounded. What was going on? Impa soon arrived to the scene and with her claws dug as well. "Link…" He whispered and slowly crept closer to see what could it be the group was trying to dig out. Wait…

Link moved rock by rock desperately. No. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be true. Why? Why? Why? WHY? Rock by rock he took away, his hands now slightly cut by his frustrated moves. A flash of gold gave him hope and he took every rock near the area. Yet as soon as he cleared, he regretted doing so. His voice wavered for a moment and he let out a single choked cry, his trembling hand made way to touch the blood-dirtied hair and made way to caress the bloody forehead. It wasn't long before his throat unclogged and he let out a heart wrenching cry.


	10. The Reconciliation

**This is chapter 10 :) It's a bit short, but I enjoyed writing it. **

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Link waited impatiently outside the medical ward. It had already been two hours and the doctors had yet to inform him about the health of his friend. He had lost a lot of blood or so he could tell by how his friend looked. Why had he done that? What could he have possibly thought to launch himself towards the deadly ray? He knew it was dangerous, lethally dangerous to do something like that. It was suicide, madness at its purest form. And yet…he did; leaving Link to wonder, why? Why risk himself like that, for a puny statue? Why? He still remembered how he had found his friend after the outburst of his father…wait…step-father. His golden mane matted with bloodstains, his equally bloody forehead, his face had bruises and cuts all over it, a trail of saliva and the red liquid flowing from his mouth, his entire chest and arms cut and a nasty burn where the ray had landed on the centre of his stomach, all of him stood as the perfect example of a macabre picture. He remembered he yelled and yelled as his tears fell upon his friend's demarcated face. He even remembered accusing and beating his step-father as he came close to see the product of his design while Navi and Impa tried to stop him by pulling on his hair and tail. Then, he felt sick and nauseous; black spots appeared on his vision and not to soon his world collapsed. He woke up after a while in his bed, wondering what had happened, believing that it had all been but a terrible nightmare. But soon grief came followed by the deepest sorrow and emptiness. It hadn't been a dream, but the cruel and sick reality that had devoured everything he owned. Even a friend. He got up quickly and exited his room. He unknowingly, for he was lost in his thoughts, arrived to the medical ward. He didn't know if his friend was here, but he surely hoped so. It meant he had somehow survived his father's attack. He entered sheepishly, yet hurriedly, and asked a nurse for his friend. She nodded grimly and took him to the intensive care unit. Navi was there waiting. And so, here he was; his nerves biting him constantly, his thoughts racing and picturing all possibilities of his friend's future and almost all of them were gloomy and dark. His heart hoped for the best. Although his mind said otherwise.

An hour later the doctor came out. Link was fast before him, his eyes asking the dreaded question. The old merman smiled kindly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "He will make it. Barely, but he will." Link's world brightened and he passed swiftly to see his friend, finding him resting on a gurney. Navi thought better than to follow him and shaking her head, a smile on her face, she left for a stroll. Thinking to return later when both friends had relieved their pains and sad moments with their presence.

There laid Sheik, his eyes closed and his whole body bandaged, his head as well, some stitches here and there, but otherwise he looked well. He was asleep of course and his chest fell nice and regularly with every breath he took. Link sighed with relief and swam towards his side, taking a hand of his in both his own. His blue eyes regarded Sheik's face, depression filled his being and he rested his forehead on Sheik's knuckles. "Oh Sheik." He murmured grievingly. "I am terribly sorry. If I had listened to my father nothing of this would've happened." His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he allowed them to take another peak upon his friend's face. The once unmarred and porcelain skin was blistered and scarred, covered with bandages and gauzes. Link's guilt increased tenfold. "Sheik…" Sighing, he caressed Sheik's cheek. "I swear to you, that I'll never ever dream of the surface if you wake up. I swear to you." He let a few tears fall. "I swear that never would I ever dare to think about it, that I'll never ever wish to be there, that I'll never defy my father again. I'll stop loving Prince Cloud. It may break my heart to do so, but it shatters my soul to have caused you such pain, it shatters my soul to see you hurt because of a fool such as I; a fool that dreams a foolish dream." He squeezed Sheik's hand. "Just please…wake up. Open your eyes, those reddish eyes." He sobbed. "Please."

"If you even dare to stop dreaming…" He heard a hoarse voice answer his plea. "Then you better let me die, for I'll never risk myself for a hopeless, defeated wimp whose wish can be shattered so easily." Link's eyes wondered around and alighted themselves on red ones filled with happiness, hope and devoted loyalty. "You are better than that." His world escaped the black void that intended to swallow him whole and pounced Sheik's body. "Link!" He gasped and groaned in pain.

"Oh Sheik! If you knew how worried I was for you; fearing that every second you could leave me behind to join Poseidon's realm." He chuckled lightened.

"I will if you don't remove from me this instant." Sheik gasped with a chuckle of his own. "I may be well and awake, but I assure you the pain is still there." Link removed himself laughing quietly and sat beside his friend. But as soon as he did, his light mood turned dark and his eyes fell downcast. Sheik spotted the change in his companion's mood and opted to pry upon his mind with his red eyes. Yet, Link proved to be difficult and turned away from him. Grasping his hand with one of his very own, he squeezed and asked. "Link? What troubles you?" His voice still slightly hoarse and raspy. Link owed his friend an explanation of his mood swings, yet that included a dreaded question that even he was afraid to know the answer of. "I…I…" He stuttered. Why was he so nervous? "I'm just wondering why did you do it?" His blue pools shaken with fear and something akin to desperation. "Why would you risk your life for something as meagre as a statue?" Surely, he couldn't have thought of that because…

"For you." The red-eyed merman answered in a whisper that almost Link didn't hear it. The green tailed merman recoiled slightly. It was the answer that he feared. Sheik was the kind of friend you found once every millennia. The kind of friend that will risk everything just for you: his belongings, his dreams, his everything, even his very life. And Link couldn't even picture the lengths he could go to for him. He couldn't even imagine what kind of things he had gone through behind his back. Link didn't know how would he pay him for all that kindness. He hadn't even been the half of a friend Sheik had been for him. "I did it for you Link." Sheik said and looked at him with his one red visible eye. "Your happiness…it was worth it. As your father destroyed each and every of your prized possessions, I saw that light of yours diminish, die little by little, like a candle when left before a slightly open window. Link…" A flat and sad sigh left his lips. "That light. I'll protect it. It is what makes you. It is the kind of light that everyone lacks, even more so myself. It was what made me accept you as a friend." Link's eyes searched Sheik's face. What had he accomplished, what had he done to be gifted with someone like Sheik? Blessed with such a wonderful and precious person to stand by him. "And…I don't regret any of it. I don't regret ever meeting you. I don't regret being your friend." He smiled warmly. "In fact, I find it a miracle that you are friends with someone as dull and lifeless as me." He chuckled gloomily. Suddenly, Sheik was startled by a pair of arms that swung his way and encircled him, and a painful tackle that almost sent him tumbling to the floor.

"Sheik…" He heard a faint sob following those words. "Don't you ever do that again." Link's eyes looked at him, his fair brows frowning. "And by Poseidon, I am the one who was gifted with your friendship." Sheik smiled brightly, one of those rare smiles that makes all the world look like a shiny and wonderful place to live in, and hugged Link back. "Besides…" Link said thoughtful and mindful of the third presence in the room. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't stand the "naggy Navi", would I?"

"HEY!" A shriek and pitchy voice reached their ears and the two friends laughed heartedly.


	11. The Suggestion

**This one is also rather short. But I hope you like it as well.**

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It had been exactly a month since Sheik had been checked out of the hospital and he had slightly gotten back to his past life: swimming without difficulty, fencing, chasing Navi when Link and him where playing and going up and about between his guard duty and looking for treasure. Yet, something in his past life had yet to return and that was Link's spark. Ever since his father had destroyed all of his precious belongings, he had lost a bit of that small flame that burned in his eyes. And each day, he noticed how each passing day his beloved friend looked weaker and sicker. Just the way he had looked that day in the cave when he poured his heart out to Navi and him. How he wished he could forget that day, to forget the pained face of his friend and how his blue irises that made him special looked just like frozen pools in winter. How he wished to forget those dreadful screams of agony and that body that shivered with every sob and breath that he took. He desired fervently to forget and yet, he was happy that Link trusted him enough to share part of his heart, his very thoughts and feelings with him. That he trusted him that much, made him feel infinitely happy. And he desired, with all of his heart, that he could repay it somehow. He had tried. He had tried by protecting that statue he loved that much. That resulted in paining Link further. What a good friend he turned out to be, huh? And so, it came to this moment in which Sheik was sitting alone. Link had been constantly denying for the past two weeks their daily treasure hunting and this worried the red tailed merman greatly. Besides that, his friend had become frail and his tail had lost its shine. It now looked a sickly pale green instead of the emerald colour it once held. Link was slowly letting himself go and that left Sheik completely restless. He sighed and clenched his fists till the knuckles turned white. What could he possibly do to make Link better? He had tried everything, from getting more treasure to managing to take him to the surface without anyone noticing, not even Impa whose eyes where everywhere. Yet all that ended up being fruitless, for Link was far more depressed than before. Rarely leaving his room, he could be heard weeping and sobbing uncontrollably that even King Daphnes felt guilty of ever destroying his beloved cave. Night after night, the old sea king knocked upon Link's door trying to comfort his bereaved son, but all attempts led to failure and to a concerned and disquieted sea ruler. Sheik sighed. Link's emotional state was deteriorating at an amazing rate and, along with it, his life. What could he possibly do? He was powerless, he was impotent, there was just too little he could do without Link telling him his afflictions. What could have possibly happened for it to be acting like this? What…Wait. How had he missed it? It was so obvious! So plain obvious! It was as evident as the moon raises and sets! As notorious and self-apparent that he felt dumb upon not realizing it.

He…he was hurting for Cloud.

He was lovesick.

But, it wasn't enough knowing the cause. Sheik still questioned the method he could create, what he could do to reunite Link with his loved one. He felt his determination weaken. He knew the cause…but it was nearly impossible for Link and Cloud to meet. "Impossible…" He whispered disheartened.

"Impossible he says." A hissing voice answered back. Sheik turned sharply to meet the unknown companion. His red eyes met nothing but the expanse of the great blue. He lifted a delicate, golden brow in confusion. "Poor child." The hissing voice was heard once more, and red eyes tried in vain to locate its owner.

"Poor child indeed." Another hissing, but marginally more pitched voice joined. Sheik's eyes covered all of its surroundings, searching for the hissing voices.

"He seems to have a serious problem." Sheik felt something slither around his tail, a delicate and ephemeral graze on the base of his tail. He reached downward but was stopped when he felt another teasing touch on his back.

"A very serious problem indeed." A voice accompanied the scaly touch on his back. He managed to suppress, with will power alone, the shuddered that wanted to brake free from his body.

"If only there was something we could do, Koume." The first hissy voice suggested. Something scaly and cold settled on his right cheek.

"If only indeed there was, Kotake." Another scaly and cold feeling came upon his left cheek. Sheik moved swiftly and faced the two unknown creatures. His eyes narrowed as soon as his sight caught a pair of dark scaled eels. He knew that eels were not to be trusted for they tended to be vile and evil sea creatures, two-faced individuals to be precise. They were quite cunning and sharp on both senses and intuition, and never to be taken lightly. Whatever this two were planning it indeed was not good and if he gave more of himself, they were bound to use it against him. He narrowed his eyes once more and brought up the walls he usually had. The glowing yellow eyes turned shadowy at this, Sheik noticing instantly, but then returned to the cool and collected waters they once held. "It seems the young child doesn't need our help, Koume." The darkest one of them both commented.

"Indeed it seems Kotake." The previously known Koume added with a devilish grin.

"Too bad for him, Koume." The other grinned suspiciously as well.

"Too bad. That's for sure, Kotake." If Sheik's eyes could narrow even more, both eels would be cowering in fear.

"We could have provided an answer to his dilemma." Koume commented, placing a seed of interest inside Sheik's mind.

"Indeed we could've." Kotake added as if it were the simplest fact in the world.

"Poor of his merman friend." Koume hung her head.

"Poor indeed." Kotake added. Sheik's eyes scrutinized both eels. Was there indeed a way to help Link? Did they know of one?

"So close to get what he wanted." Koume said and began to swim away.

"So close to that what he desired." Kotake following suit.

"And yet so far." Koume turned to Sheik, who was yet analyzing what both eels were revealing, and nodded in a way of farewell.

"So far." Kotake nodded as well.

"Wait." Sheik's voice rung before he could stop it. He never lost his calm self, but when Link was concerned he lost it all. Not before him of course. Both eels stopped, and Sheik never noticed the evil glint in their eyes.

"Yes?" They both said in unison.

"What you are saying…" He began carefully, never loosing the yellow orbs. "What do you mean by it?"

"Should we, Koume?" One asked the other.

"We should, Kotake." The questioned replied.

"We represent someone." Koume answered, a smile appearing on the scaly lips.

"Someone who could help you." Kotake finished with a grin of her own.

"Someone who can make the impossible seem possible." Koume continued, that scary smile of hers not vanishing.

"Someone who could make all your dreams come true." Kotake's words joined her twin's.

"Who is this someone?" Sheik asked, a faint and small dread surfacing in the back of his mind.

"Ganondorf." Koume's voice held adoration as it poured out of his mouth.

"He has great powers." Kotake's voice held adulation as it flew out of her cavern.

"Ganondorf?" Sheik asked with barely concealed shock. "The sea wizard?" His eyes looked between both eels. He had heard rumour about the wizard. None were pleasant. The first, being the reason as to why he had been exiled from the castle: claimed that King Daphnes sent him away for trying to murder the entire royal family and since then he swore to destroy all merfolk. The others commented on what he did now that he had been banned of ever showing his face near Daphnes' dominions. Some said that he captured their kind and experimented with them. Others; that he lured them in with promises of wealth, beauty, power among other appealing things to the merfolk and they ended up being betrayed. He had even heard that he tortured those he lured and even killed those who resisted. Whichever way he looked at it, Ganondorf was not one to be trusted. Sheik wouldn't dare put his best friend in harms way. No matter how much Ganondorf promised happiness, it was always short lived. "I'm sorry but…I'm afraid I won't ask such a vile and treacherous creature, a dark magic wielder nonetheless, for help." His crossed his arms. If there was a way to help Link, he'll find it. A safer and much brighter way. Koume and Kotake glared at Sheik.

"Suit yourself." Koume said and swam away.

"It was only a suggestion." Kotake sneered and from a satchel that had escaped Sheik's notice, took out a piece of rock and threw it before him. Sheik glared at them. But his glare soon diminished and turned to a wide-eyed stare as his eyes fell unto the previously thrown rock. He picked it up and his red irises covered every expanse of said stone as if it will soon vanish into water or dissolve into sand. He couldn't believe what he was holding in his grasp and couldn't phantom why did these eels held such a thing. "Where…."

"We have our ways, you have yours." Koume said as she heard Sheik's disbelieving voice.

"Either way, we won't bother you so why have it anymore?" Kotake's yellow eyes stared at Sheik.

"I hope that solves your problem at the very least." Koume added with fury inked in her voice and continued her way.

"For the time being at least." Kotake snarled. "For a dream…would always remain that...a dream." And saying so both eels swam away from Sheik, who kept on staring at the stone in his hands. His mind reeling with so many thoughts that he knew he was bound to have a headache and then explode. Not only that, but with the thoughts came the emotions and with them…the faltering in his decisions and opinions. What if he had done wrong? What if he could never help Link by himself? What if he decided to take the road the eels had opened up for him? What if…? What if…? What if…? So many uncertainties. So many doubts in his own capabilities. So many negative emotions playing inside of him, tugging him from one way to another. There was just so much a man could bare…and Sheik had finally met his end. "WAIT!" He yelled unknowingly.

"Yes?" Both eels turned with smirks and happy and delighted gazes.

"Could…" Sheik began doubtfully. "Could we meet here tonight?" He sighed and passed a hand through his hair. He had never let himself loose so much of his composure in just one day. "I…I have to discuss this with someone. If that person chooses to follow with the idea, then well we will meet Ganondorf. You will guide us there. If not…Then I'll come and let you know and you must never bother me nor that person ever again." Sheik's resolve and his stare at both eels were unwavering. Both creatures looked at one another and smirked. They knew they had both mermen in the tip of their fins and that they will comply with their suggestion. The other person Sheik talked about; they knew he would comply. The way he was right now: it will make it easier to bend to their will. No matter what Sheik said, no matter how he warned him, he will in the end submit. The doubts in Sheik grew. "Do we have a deal?" He asked sternly, trying to mask the uneasiness spreading in him. Both eels looked at one another and smirked.

"Sure we do." Koume assured, both her voice sounded malevolent.

"Indeed we have." Kotake nodded, her voice the same wicked tone like her twin's. And so, with Sheik's regarding eyes, they left, vanishing into the deep blue.


End file.
